My random eye

Wanna see how random my eye is when I’m out and about? OK, I’ll show you - in the order I shot these. I saw those alarms on a building as I was walking from the tube towards the Spilliaert exhibition on Piccadilly. People had to duck as they walked past me taking this. I thought they must think I was taking such a weird picture. Maybe I was.

I walked past this lady with her woolly hat greeting me, and I circled back as I thought it was so funny I had to get the shot. I feel quite shy taking pictures of strangers up and close, and when I walked past her the second time I took the picture blindly with the camera at my hip, hoping that I’d get her in the frame. But you know, one great thing about people being so engrossed in their phones, is that you actually can just shoot the pic however you want, without them ever knowing.

See what I mean? Phones are gooooood. This lady’s green dress was just too fabulous darling to ignore.

Something about this empty street corner drew my eye. I think it was all that black.

With all the rain we’ve been having there’s some pretty big puddles out there. I liked how the red of the no entry sign popped.

Orange and burgundy together - who would’ve thunk it? Such a 60’s colour combo, non? And the name of the street makes me wonder what the history of it is. Quack quack?

I know I keep saying it, but I’m eternally grateful to my old art director boss who said that one must always look up. You never know what you’ll see, and seeing as so much of London is so generic at eye level, there are usually more interesting details above your eye line.

Like people making little gardens wherever they can.

Ahh, Bedford Square. You so pretty.

And finally, this building number on Tottenham Court Rd, before I got back on the tube to go home. Nice colours will always draw my (random) eye.

Last week's art outing

Last week I went to see the Léon Spilliaert exhibition at the Royal Academy, and rather brilliant it was too. He was a Belgian artist who lived and painted at the turn of the 20th century, who unfortunately suffered from insomnia, and so would wander the streets of Ostend at night when he couldn’t sleep. Many of his artworks reflect the eery night, and I love his unconventional framin and the unfamiliar dark and empty street and seascapes. There’s something about the art from this period that feels so modern and appealing, and it’s amazing how contemporary they feel even now - over a hundred years later. I’m so grateful to the curator at the RA, as I also saw amazing exhibitions there last year by two unknown to me European artists from roughly the same period; the Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck, and Swiss painter Félix Vallotton (who’s exhibition I went to three times - a record for me!). I promise I’ll post my pictures from those soon. This Spillieart exhibition also travels on to Musée d’Orsay later this spring, if you can’t make it to the Royal Academy before the 25th of May.

Buddy picture of the week V

I love his one curly black whisker - can you see it?

10 from half-term

It was half-term a couple of weeks ago, and for the most of it we just spent it at home, as the weather was pretty pants, and being at home is so cosy and comfortable, you know? We managed to spend one day in town though, and went to the Meet Vincent van Gogh Experience, which with it being the school holidays, was packed. It wasn't as amazing as the similar van Gogh experience we saw in Paris in the summer (which reminds me, I HAVE to start posting the giant backlog from last year!), but it was still fun to see. It’s basically giant projections of Van Gogh’s painting, that you are steered through, with headphones so you get to know a bit more about the art and the man himself.

There was an enlarged section of one of his paintings, so you could touch the thickness of his brush strokes.

And a shadow projection of van Gogh and Paul Gaugin painting side by side inside the Yellow House, where they eventually had the huge fight that pushed Van Gogh over the edge, and led to him slicing off his ear.

Oomoo and his friend E.

Right at the end of the show there was a big projection wall with all of the paintings that van Gogh made in the 10 years he painted. I got a lump in my throat, as I usually do when it comes to him. He had no idea that he would one day become one of the worlds most famous and influential artists. I wonder what he would make of what’s happened to his art since his death, and how much it sells for now, and that you can buy The Sunflowers umbrellas and cushions, or little crocheted Vincent van Gogh key rings.

We walked along the river to Tate Modern, where I spotted these girls doing some sort of dance in front of a smartphone, to post on TikTok I’m guessing, as that’s what all them kids are doing, aren’t they?

Reflections and silhouettes.

FUN TIMES.

Didn’t stay long at Tate as it was also packed. Just below the gallery the tide was out, but Oomoo wasn’t interested in going down there and having a wander. Oh well, there’s always next time.

Hello dude! The more I see the ever changing London sky line, the less I recognise it.

Oomoo and I ended up in Covent Garden, going for a wander where we spotted lots of funny little details, like this climber, making a run for it to the neighbouring building.

And then finally, evening. The guy standing in the window is the reason why I took this pic, and when I had a closer look at it, I could see that he was looking straight at me. Sorry guy! That must have been so weird to see someone stop on a busy street and take your picture like that.