After a trip up north to see my folks it seemed like a good idea to see some folk art on the way home. We’d missed British Folk Art when it was at the Tate, but now we had a second chance. Continue reading “British Folk Art”
British Folk Art
Category: Art
Jitterbug Waltz
Here’s a wonderful new album by the Frank Harrison Trio, recorded live at The Verdict in Brighton. It’s not very hi-fi, Frank simply put his digital recorder on the stage and pressed the record button, but it manages to capture the enthusiasm and the energy and the empathy between the three musicians. It’s available free from Frank’s website, but if you want my favourite track you should buy the CD. And there’s a great drawing by Andrew Walton on the cover. Here’s a little taste…
Jitterbug Waltz: Frank Harrison, piano; Dave Whitford, double bass; Enzo Zirilli, drums.
Frank Harrison Trio | Live At The Verdict
Wittenham Clumps
A couple of weeks before our walk around Burnham Beeches, I walked to Wittenham Clumps with Andrew Walton. We’d done the same walk five years earlier and afterwards Andrew had painted this little watercolour as a memento, here brightening up my sad old workshop wall. That was in the days before this blog; now I was keen to retrace our steps and record them for Frames of Reference. Continue reading “Wittenham Clumps”
Autumn Song
A walk on Hampstead Heath a couple of weeks ago, just as the leaves began to turn, trying to catch the low sun shining through golden leaves, the dappled light that takes your breath away. Continue reading “Autumn Song”
A Tale Of Two Gardens
Recently I have visited two gardens which are fairly local to me, one is in Elmstead Market near Colchester, about an hour’s drive from me and the other, Warley Place is on my doorstep near Brentwood. The Colchester garden was made by Beth Chatto and Warley Place was the garden of Ellen Willmott, a Victorian plants woman. Both places have inspired new work. I have made a series of paintings of Beth Chatto’s garden and some ink studies of Warley Place. Continue reading “A Tale Of Two Gardens”
An Illustrator’s Miscellany
Jonny Hannah‘s new book, Greetings From Darktown, has finally arrived, and it’s worth the wait. It’s an adventure book for the eyes, a cornucopia of delights, a cryptic catalogue of signs and wonders, and best of all there’s this feast of visual treats, a double page spread of Jonny’s Jackets again.
Further reference: The Darktown Courier.
Moon Arc
This large watercolour was painted by Andrew Walton to celebrate 12 walks with David Attwooll on Oxford’s Port Meadow. Their journeys were documented in Ground Work, an exhibition of painting and poetry earlier this year at Art Jericho. Moon Arc was not included in that exhibition but it is now on view in the window of The Rowley Gallery. Continue reading “Moon Arc”
Contemplating The Depths
Our house swap this summer was to Grasse in the South of France. Grasse’s inland location allowed us to make forays into the mountains as well as get more easily to various beaches along the Côte d’Azur. Our favourite area was Théoule-sur-Mer with its orange rock pinnacles, white pebble coves with azure pools. Continue reading “Contemplating The Depths”
In Lugano
It seemed like a good idea to try Lugano next. It’s a bigger town with more museums than Ascona, there might be a chance we’d stumble upon something by Julius Bissier there. Continue reading “In Lugano”
In Ascona
One of the deciding factors for a holiday on Lake Como this year was its proximity to Lake Maggiore and the small lakeside town of Ascona, where the municipal museum holds a collection of abstract miniatures by Julius Bissier. A rare opportunity to see a group of his beautiful paintings all together. Or so we thought. But first a quick promenade. Continue reading “In Ascona”