Hi there , long time no see!

I've been busy with a family member being hospitalised by having an accident at work , the demise of my lovely cat and my attempt at creating a business plan for handing in  at college next Monday.

Anyway, I have managed to squeeze in two trips to Liverpool to visit the Tate and The Walker Gallery.  The Tate was showing an exhibition  of Glenn Browns work.  It was quite amazing stuff.  I really connected with his painting of his interpretations of old portraits from the past centuries.  But I wasn't impressed with his sci-fi stuff.  His head paintings appear at first glance to be painted with thick oil paint brush strokes and pallet knife; but no, on closer inspection the paint is applied flat as in a photographic painting.  They are truly amazing!  Worth a visit!  The Walker Gallery was showing Maggi Hamblings, George Melly paintings.  They are amazing:  they capture him just as he was when performing or when appearing on a T.V.chat show etc.  They were very gay and colourful as was he.  The paintings showed a lot of love and emotion that the artist felt and still feels for her friend.  The two Galleries are so different as art spaces.  The Walker has all the grandeur of the Victorian age when it was built,when art was truly for the wealthy and famous to own and display, but some socially conscious people did put it on display in public spaces for all to enjoy .  The Tate was created by converting a massive derelict dock warehouse from the same age into a modern gallery for modern art.  If I had the choice to pick a venue out of the two to display my work (I wish!)I would have to consider the context of the pieces to decide which one would suit and compliment the space.  Another thought is this: If contemporary art is ideally for the masses - why do galleries like the Tate's charge so much for viewing temporary exhibitions therefor excluding audiences that can't afford the cost, thus making them elitist in a way,  when traditional municipal art galleries often the ones that have been around since the 19Th C. can be explored free.

I also, while I was there  photographed some stained glass windows that are displayed in the Walker Gallery- I haven't had time to transfer them to the computer yet. i have also been researching stained and coloured glass artists.  I would like to maybe take a course in these disciplines/skills but I wont have the time before I finish my degree.   Maybe after next year I will be able to, we'll see.

bye bye for now- supper time!