Showing posts with label Exhibition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Exhibition. Show all posts

Wednesday 9 April 2014

No postcards

Roman votives were so small and interesting that I kept returning to that particular cabinet. BUT in my opinion the exhibition room lighting was inadequate ... whoops ... oh dear, i was informed that THE British Museum dictate the exhibition at each museum with disregard to the lighting! They also had not realised that my shadow falls on tiny objects in the glass case,  masking detail in the metalwork. Also, I needed a magnifying glass to see the intricate markings amidst the artefacts of animals, rings and brooches. It was an exhibition of the Roman Empire displaying more than 160 pieces from the British Museum. There were no postcards of these magnificent miniatures that interested me! A sales opportunity missed!

We visited 'the Egyptians' where Little Miss Muffet wished to show me the mummified woman ... below were scarab artefacts which reminded of scarab jewellery I own... I have always loved the eye of Horus in its variant designs.. I love turquoise and those who have auras of that hue.
Proceeding on: the famous  teapot collection seems to be reduced.
The taxidermy, not a favourite, is a bit stuffy, but I AM always fascinated by beetles (although I prefer them to be moving) ... and fossils always stand the test of time!  Lowry was on display... and textiles ... Roman knitwear was fascinating.  Wow ... it is not exactly concessionary to go to museums in UK!  Educational ... yes! Enjoyable... certainly! It was a privilege to do what I very often do not do!

Saturday 9 June 2012

Days like these

It's such a surprise when 'Unexpected' opens a door. 

The late start of the morning was kicked into action when an acquaintance phoned to say she could come that afternoon.  Debris of two days required a whirlwind of major domestic duties with the decision to bake a cake!  Springsteen's energy helped amazingly.

Nervousness to entertain in my own house became a surprise when she arrived.  It seemed illogical for I am proud of the work that my friend has achieved in difficult circumstances over the last two years.  Oh how I wish things were different.  To digress: Many were the times when I was required to speak ad lib to more than 100 parents, or lead an assembly for 120 children plus adults with 5 or fewer minutes to prepare or present a class assembly or concert for parents and never ever felt nervous.  Nor did I ever become nervous when playing hymns for daily assemblies but to perform as a musician in a concert used to de-salivate my mouth for it was something that I could never achieve.

Having explored my property we descended stone steps to the river, strolled where artists with easels were creating beautiful artwork, stood on the bridge to marvel at the perfect view and climbed to the hub of the village.  Warm tea was served with date and almond buns.  The cold wind seemed to sap my energy despite the sun trying to warm the world.

Fatigue set in before 6pm but I decided to visit the village shop for raw vegetables.  Not more than 20 metres along the lane I stopped to let the large white van pass.... Cuckoo... it's my pottery teacher. "Was I going to the concert?" "Was I going to the vernissage?  I became invited. The latter I did not know about and the former I thought I would skip on account of being tired and cold.  
Amused by surprise events I nipped back to change into something more glamorous.
I realised it must be the formal opening of the clothing exhibition where the creatrice using natural material dyed with plants had worked at threadwork called "Les Jours" which my village is famous for.  Quite stunning clothes influenced by Spanish flamenco were expensive but if one counted the hours that her needle and thread had counted then the price seemed justified.  The general message from villagers at the exhibition was of HOPE, that this was the first time in many years when new life blood was being poured into "Les Jours d'Angles". Those who practise the technique are becoming older and there is the fear that the craft will die completely. One could say it has been hanging on a thread! I felt proud to be there. Her work was exquisite and even pants and bras were available at maxicost.

The two ladies who invited me to share a picnic salad al fresco set off for the next village in DM's new Jumper van in which she has installed a bed and storage space so she can travel to exhibitions and sell her pottery.  It was great fun to eat with them and accompany them to the concert in a church.  Moi, l'anglaise et eux.  It was an excellent professional performance of piano and violincello works by Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy and Chostakovitch. In England we write Shostakovitch.
 I love days like these when LIFE seems worth living and I feel young again!
The payback was followed by a less active day!

Sunday 9 October 2011

L'art et Lard at Le Petit Pressigny

What a wonderful day!

I can't possibly show you in photographs all the artists' works that were exhibited around the village in houses, gardens, sheds, caves (pronounced as carves but some were trogladyte caves...) as I did not take photographs of their talent.  There was such creativity and inspiration. One young female painter whose exhibits were the earthy colours of Utah ...... told me how she walked in those canyons about 20km each day all by herself for 6 weeks !!!!!!!
I think my favourite art work at the festival exhibition were:
photography: Rieja Van Art avec les textes de Michele Guignandon and also those of Serge Lopez. The photographic content was the traditional cotton and linen of France.
sculpture: Claude Eybert  - he worked in wood, zinc, glass and broken crockery and the work is very tactile.
pottery: Dominique Maroille makes beautiful garden flowers and I love the miniature coffee mugs of Magalie
paintings:Charlotte Guérineau captures the subtlety of the ochre in rocks and sand and charm in her confident self is expressed in the passion she has for the desert.

If I were to have the time, I will later learn how to make a slide show of my humble photography.  Meanwhile here are some of my own art images, as taken apart from the first which was cropped: