Tiger Tiger burning bright

When I left Hong Kong , people mused on how I would get my foraging fix. In most part charity shops, and Liberty's have helped fill the gap. There was one thing missing though. The $10 shops better known as Jusqo. Well the search is over. I had heard of Tiger a group of shops which I desperately wanted a chance to rummage in. However the closest one was up in North Finchley and I just never got there. Lucky me when one opened up on the Finchley road last Saturday.

Truly I am blessed.

What can you say? Milk frother shaped like a gun? Brown labels? Coloured string?Hello, you are speaking my language. I left the shop having spent £8. What on? well I couldn't leave without the 4 small galvanised buckets or without the car plaster ( you stick it over those small scraps or in my case large ones I may need more than one plaster!) waxed stripey straws and the piece de resistance fake dog poo for number 1 son. Genius!
p.s. still not brave enough to use my car plaster.

p.p.s. This is for you Sheila !

Cake,cook,play

 

I guess I will start with the play and our long dog walks in lovely woods and fields .

 So after a very rocky start to spring it finally sprung, and we have bluebells and dappled sunlight and hawthorn blossoms a la David Hockney. All very lovely and necessary as we are plunged back into Winter again.

So I haven't just been sitting on my proverbial arse. I have been cooking Pigeon Pie to start with and then a commission to make a forest cake. This is not the finished article which is now long gone, eaten up and devoured like all good cakes should be. The finished cake had mushrooms and fungi snails and spiders and a lot more leaves.

 I found my Pigeon pie recipe on Manger a blog which if you haven't come across before is worth a look at. I predict big things for Mimi Thorisson.

Not a lot of art though now the kids are back at school and the bathroom( deep sigh) is nearly finished I will be out and about again.

Istanbul vs Hong Kong

Istanbul

Jerwood and chips

It's a very long Easter Holiday. My boys are off til the 23rd of April so nearly a month. This provides some difficulties and also allows a certain freedom in deciding what to do. So while we decided what to do off we went to Hastings.

Now being by the sea when its sleeting snowing and generally grey is no better than London but it is different so I count it as a Holiday. In that spirit we ate fish and chips lay around in our PJ's and didn't go on the Internet. That was not due to any realisation that I am addicted more to do with the fact that I couldn't make the damn thing work(no IT wizz husband). I now realise that I am addicted to the Internet. I did more in one day without the web than I have done for yonks. I framed pictures potted plants rearranged and decluttered. Not sure what I will do with this new information.

Anyhow off we went to the Jerwood and a small exhibition but lovely non the less. The boys followed a trail and I looked longingly at the Roger Hilton, Alfred Wallace and Edward Bawden. I nearly bought a Roger Hilton at college, boy do I wish I had now.

The Knock Knock exhibition is made up of seven artists with some affinity to Hastings. It's a mixed bag but I often prefer these pick and mix galleries.

Hastings is always fun, but now we are back in London and we have decided what to do we are off to Istanbul in a few days to adventures new. Without the Internet perhaps?

George Bellows

So it's cold and wet and a bit miserable frankly. Not much to tempt a body outside. I have to say that I haven't been greatly enthused with the big exhibitions on offer. I have no real love for Manet, though I did go to his show( more on that later), but George Bellows caught my eye. The poster for his show is a raw and mesmerising picture of two boxers hard at it. 

It's a wonderful exhibition, George Bellows was an American Realist painter from the first quarter of the 20th century. He was born in New York to two relatively old parents. He died young not reaching the age his mother was when she gave birth to him. 

This is my favourite piece.

Pennsylvania Station Excavation 1908-1909

Sadly this picture does not do justice to the colours of the sky which are a shocking azure smudged with gold and reddy browns. Love this picture. That huge monolith in the background is so ominous.

That sky is one I may just use. In fact I enjoyed nearly all his colour palate. Very inspirational. I did prefer his earlier works to his later. His rendition of people reminded me a lot of Lucian Freud.

Two words. Go see.http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/

Country Living Spring Fair

Apparently it's spring though I'm not convinced as it seemed to be snowing as I slogged over Primrose Hill this morning. Still the lovely people at Country Living are having a spring fair which I had a look at yesterday.

These lovely pictures are not mine and I must credit the Laura Ashley Blog from whence they came. Mental note take your own pictures.

Now the fair was very much what you would expect. Lots of pretty Easter baskets, lots of tea towels and lashings of artfully aged household and garden accessories from yesteryear. I'm sorry I don't mean to sound snidey and I love a pot holder as much as the next person but really it was all a bit too lovely for me.

Having said that and with my darling Husband ensconced in The Business Design Centre I may well set up a stall next Easter if not before!

I have a few more exhibitions to show and tell. But I shall stretch those out so as to make it look like I have a very culturally full existence.