8 posts tagged “london”
The V&A. Awesome shop, very good food and cool exhibtions.
During half term I went to London and did some exhibitions. First the From Russia exhibition in the RA, which was very interesting, though completely packed, and then Granny and I popped into Fortnum and Mason which was amazing. I wanted to photograph and sketch everything. Here's a sketch of some of their gorgeous ribbon. We bought was some chocolates, which were delicious and came beautifully wrapped.
The next my grandfather and I went to the the age of enchantment (click the arrow buttons to see more pictures) exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. I am so glad I went, it was just wonderful. Then we all went to the V&A The Museum of Childhood. At this point of running out of different ways of saying wonderful and amazing, so I'll say incredibly inspiring. I sketched lots and took lots of photos. I could have spent all day there.
Yesterday I went to Portobello Road market for the first time. I went with my dad and grandfather, who are wonderful guides because after years in the silver and antiques business they know everyone else in the business. It was a stunning cloudless day; until today the best day of year to my memory. The sky was so blue it made all the buildings in the street look freshly painted and my grandfather said it was the busiest he has ever seen it.
My first purchase was this beautiful turquoise broach, and I am very pleased with it for I have been told I have very little taste when it comes to jewelry. Right now I’m wearing it on the front of my white sundress but it also looks very fetching on my turquoise jacket. The woman I bought it from was magnificent and formidable in that very British sort of way. I wondered if the broach would be too heavy to wear on most things and she said it would be fine if I “put enough fabric in the pin, people never put enough fabric in the pin”. “You’re right you now”, said one tourist. “Of course I am,” she answers brusquely.
I browsed shops ands stalls of, as my father would say, ‘oldy worldy things’ as well as a lot of newer stuff and bought some amazing brass stamps and these fantastic shoes that are actually very comfortable. I also bought a crepe with lemon and sugar which was sold to me by a genuine (and very lovely) French girl. Actually, one thing that really stood out was what characters every one with shop and stalls were, which just made for an amazing atmosphere.
Here is the scrapbook and the sketchbook page from my travel journal for my recent trip to London. I saw Chicago in the West End and did the Royal Academy of Art Summer Show, both of which were fantastic, I bought beautiful buttons and drooled over fabric in Liberty and got coffee in Starbucks.You can see the pictures here and here to see them on Flickr with notes.
Last week I decided that I needed a travel journal; something with lots of blank space to write but also pages to sketch and stick photos. Such a thing did not exsist, so I bought this beautiful journal and altered it. I removed some exsisting pages carefully with a craft knife and glued in new ones cut to the right shape. I'll take it wth me when I go to London this Monday, Ireland in August and hopefully New York next year.
If you've been in London recently you will have seen these hanging off all the trees. I don't know what they are called, but I love them so I picked one up and drew it.
I got tagged by lauowolf!
Four jobs I have had in my life: (being 17 I am using ‘job’ in the broadest sense of the word)
1)General dogsbody in my dad’s bookshop. I was 14 so I made the tea and priced up books.
2) ‘In house artist’ at my parent’s ceramic café. This means I paint most of the commissions and pieces for sale in the shop. If things get busy I can make lattes and (heaven forbid) talk to customers too.
3) Painting Jane’s shoes. (I did say ‘job’ ‘in the broadest sense of the word’)
4) possible upcoming job- Some guy on etsy may be commissioning me to painting 16 pictures for him, but we’re still discussing terms and prices at the moment.
Four movies I would watch over and over:
1) Amelie (I always spot something new in it)
2) The Matrix (ditto)
3) Pride and Prejudice (the Kiera Knightly version)
4) Ground Hog Day
Four places I have never gone, but want to:
1) Paris
2) Australia
3) Hawaii(mostly inspired by Lilo and Stitch
4) New York(fingers crossed I might be going next year with the college)
Four songs on the CD player right now: (or, the last 4 things I listened to on RealPlayer)
1) Breakdown- Jack Johnson
2) Otherwise - Morcheeba
3) Rain City - Turin Brakes
4) Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer (My taste in music isn't always this wussy. Really.)
Four TV shows I love/like:
1) QI
2) House
3) Ugly Betty
4) NCIS
Four places I've been on vacation:
1) Menorca
2) Ireland
3) France
4) Lanzarote
Four of my favorite foods are;
1) Green Thai prawn curry
2) Lasagna, as made by my mum
3) Calamari (preferably in Lanzarote with a fruity non-alcoholic cocktail)
4) Pumpkin muffins
Four places I would rather be right now:
1) Taking photos on Aldeburgh beach
2) London, with my friends
3) New York, shopping
4) Ireland, eating tray bakes with my grandmother the probably painting some sheep.
The good, the bad and the tagged:
1) Alex 2) Jane3) lostdwarf
4) Rosie Lou
Show us something pink.
This is sketch of a dress I did in the V&A this summer; I've added the pink pattern on photoshop. The original dess was actually pink, although much darker. I got the pattern from a t-shirt I scanned.
