Upside Down…

A couple of days away is always fun. This weekend we spent some time in London and then took a leisurely drive back through the south midlands stopping off at Stowe Gardens, just outside Buckingham. Certainly not the quickest way back home but far far more relaxing.

For many complicated reasons this was our first visit to London for over a year. I am happy to report that London is still, well, London. That means crowded, expensive and giving off a vibe you don’t get anywhere else in Britain.

Our first stop was at the Royal Academy to see the Victor Hugo exhibition: Astonishing Things: The Drawings of Victor Hugo. We also caught the ‘Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism exhibition. Of the two the Victor Hugo exhibition was the stand out. I don’t know why it is but I find some of the best exhibitions in the smaller Jillian and Arthur M. Sackler gallery. This was the home of the Victor Hugo show.

The Brazilian art exhibition was interesting and contained some stunning art. However, it just didn’t work on the same level as the Victor Hugo. Your views may be different and I am happy with that.

The next day Stowe was on its best behaviour in the last sun of the resent sunny spell period. This being Easter week the schools are off so Stowe was clearly a great place to take the kids. This didn’t ruin things for us. We got there early and left before it got too busy.

All in all a good couple of days.

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A Different Time…

2015 – Life seemed so much simpler then. Or was this an omen of things to come?

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Yet more Sunshine…

The previous day it was British Airways flying to the United States. Today it was the turn of Air France. Such is life.

Meanwhile the real masters of the air are preparing for more important stuff. Spring appears to have sprung and so the hunt is on for a mate.

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Creating Content in the Sunshine…

What is a man to do?   He needs a large number of digital images to test something.  He has already used a number of low-quality Jpegs.  Now he needs full fat 61 MP images.  He could just run the shutter for a few minutes or….

He could sit outside in the bright afternoon sun and capture whatever flew by.   Guess what I did.

So I topped up my tan, listened to a podcast and came away with over 400 images at 52 GB of data. What a way to spend 30 minutes or so in the sun. Well I guess if you are me that is.

PS. If this weather continues we are so screwed. We haven’t really had any rain for the best part of two weeks: Britain in April! There is a reason for the phrase April Showers. Hosepipe ban here we come. If that was the only problem should this weather continue.

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I’m your Venus…

Yeah baby..she’s got it…

Bananarama

Not sure why Bananarama came into my mind when think about our trip yesterday to the Hepworth art gallery at Wakefield? They have. They did.

Third gallery visit in as many weeks. Not bad. Now I know some of you might point out that you can do that in a day. Maybe so. But we are gentlemen of a certain age. Over the year we have learnt that you can’t rush these things. You need to have a good lunch to ruminate about the art and many other things. The long and short is that one gallery a day is usually more than enough.

I’m sure my partner in crime will provide a much more refined review of the exhibitions. If that is what you seek, look no further than clicking on this link. For what it is worth I though all three exhibitions were well worth the entrance fee. If you pushed me for my favourite I would have to say that was Elizabeth Fritsch’s Otherworldly Vessels exhibition. If you did that then you would miss the point. Each exhibition brought something different to the feast. Together they made a wonderful day out.

So if you are in the area. Or if you are looking for a great art day out then the Hepworth at Wakefield won’t let you down.

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Insomnia…

Can’t Sleep? Well why not take a trip down memory lane and play ‘On this Day‘? So yes it is 04:59 hrs as I write this and yes I have visited my past. These three images do make strange bedfellows. The first one was from 2010. The world was very different: Facebook was cool; we thought the financial crises was the worse thing to happen in so many years; and we had a President of the United States who didn’t keep suggesting that Canada should be absorbed into the United States. Simpler Times.

The middle image comes from 2021 when, of course, we had a little something called COVID to contend with. The word ‘Partygate’ had yet to acquire its ominous significance.  That would soon change.

The third image is from 2022. COVID was starting to recede and we could start to get about a bit. Unfortunately, that seems to have been the same thought that the President of the Russian federation had as he decided to march his army into Ukraine.

The same day three different years. The world seems to be getting crazier with every rotation. Actually that is unfair on the earth. I think it is just we humans.

Not sure any of this has cured my insomnia.

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Puzzling Experiment…

Creating art requires time, patience, and dedication. However, in today’s fast-paced world, many artists struggle to find the time to fully immerse themselves in their creative processes. The demands of daily life, work, and other responsibilities often take precedence, leaving little room for artistic expression.

This lack of time can lead to frustration and a sense of unfulfillment, as artists are unable to explore their ideas and develop their skills. Despite these challenges, it is important for artists to carve out moments for creativity, even if it means setting aside small pockets of time to nurture their passion and keep their artistic spirit alive.

The above was written by Co-Pilot in Word from the following prompt: 

“write 100 words on a lack of time to create art”

The following was written by Apple Intelligence/Chat GPT from the same prompt:

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, finding time to pursue creative passions like art seems increasingly elusive. Daily responsibilities, from work pressures to family commitments, consume the majority of hours, leaving little room for artistic exploration. The digital age, while offering tools and platforms for creativity, paradoxically adds to distractions, pulling attention away from focused creative endeavours.

The mental fatigue from constant connectivity and multitasking stifles inspiration and motivation. Art requires not just time, but a relaxed mind to flourish. Without the luxury of ample, uninterrupted time, artistic pursuits are often relegated to fleeting moments, hindering the development of skills and expression.

_______________________________________________________________

Is it just me but do these two pieces of writing, if that is what they actually are, remarkably similar? Needless to say the WordPress AI, not sure what service they use, doesn’t like either of them. It demands sentences shortened and complex words like: however, unable, and following to be changed. I do wonder just how many billions of dollars have been spent to produce this? I suspect far too many but what do I know?

The truth is I haven’t spent enough time just drawing. The older I get the busy I seem to be. This, of course, could be because my time management skills are slipping. It could also because I seem to fill my time with more and more stuff whilst at the same time I am getting more tired due to, you know, getting old. I suspect it is a measure from all of the above. The result is that I do struggle to find time for my art. I guess this is the point where make a solemn vow to do better. But why make a vow you I have no way of keeping?

The following are the co-pilot and Apple/Chat GPT revisions of the last paragraph:

The truth is I haven’t spent enough time drawing. As I age, I get busier, possibly due to poor time management or filling my schedule with too many activities. Additionally, I feel more tired as I get older. All these factors contribute to the struggle of finding time for my art. Making a vow to improve seems futile if I can’t keep it.

The truth is, I haven’t dedicated enough time to just drawing. As I grow older, I find myself increasingly occupied. This could be attributed to my declining time management skills or the fact that I seem to fill my time with more and more activities, leading to increased fatigue due to the natural aging process. I suspect that a combination of these factors is at play. Consequently, I struggle to find time for my artistic pursuits. Perhaps this is the point where I make a solemn vow to improve, but why make a vow that you have no guarantee of keeping?

_________________________________________________________________

The WordPress AI didn’t seem to have too many objections the co-pilot redraft. The same could not be said about Apple/Chat GPT

Neither fill me with any confidence. Nor do they help with the problem of carving out time to make art. I guess it is just down to me try a little harder and make drawings.

One final thing. This is the artwork created by Co-Pilot based on the rewrite of the paragraph. Apple Intelligence didn’t appear to have such an option.

Perhaps this is how I create art in the time available? I suspect that is a very Elon solution to the problem. What he doesn’t understand is that art is the only true description of the human condition. I saw this the other day at the Rugby Art Gallery. There on the wall were art works created by inmates at local prisons. Each described their view of the world at the time of creation. No amount of AI will ever be able to do that. It is the same with every artwork created by an animal. Yes they are paintings but they have no soul.

Anyway, I’ve written enough. Goodbye.

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Having Some Municipal Fun…

There is still life in art collections and galleries of local councils. Last week we were in Barnsley at the Cooper Gallery. This week it was the turn of the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum. Both are pearls in barren sea. I know what I am about to write may well not be popular but I don’t blame the current Government. They inherited a mess and are trying to find solutions within the constraints of the mess. I do hope they succeed.

Local government was one of the worst affected areas as a result of years of neglect by the Conservative government. Cut and after cut they had to endure. When social care consumes so much of a limited pot it is not wonder that the arts and culture in general loses out. Yet despite all of this there is still hope and Rugby and Barnsley offer that hope.

So if you are in the area then take a look at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum…it really is worth a visit.

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Hustings in the Ridings…

There is something very familiar taking place in the largest country in North America – Canada. They are holding a general election. Joy of Joys they use almost the same system as we do except the constituencies are known as ridings. According to Wiki their official names is ‘Electoral Districts’. except no one seems to call them that. There might be more differences. However, from what I have observed so far, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The reason why this is important is it will be a true measure of the Donald Trump effect. You see before Trumps took office the ruling Liberal Party was in serious trouble – so much so the Prime Minister resigned. The leader of the opposition Conservative Party was powering ahead. I almost called them Tories. His wife could start to think about the furnishings of her new home. I know it’s sexist, but it makes a point.

Then the great orange one south of the border started to suggest that Canada should actually be the 51st state of the United States of America and bottom fell out of the Conservative Party voting intentions. As things stand the Liberal Party could win a majority, they were a minority government relying on support on smaller parties in the previous parliament.

The final dagger in the heart of Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative party leader, is that Donald Trump dismissed him as though he didn’t know who he was. A real blow for someone who tried to pretend he was Canada’s Trump.

So there is just under a month to polling day and as with all elections nothing is decided until the last vote is counted. However, if the Liberals do win then that raises serious questions for populists throughout the non USA west. Many, like Poilievre have cossied up to Trump and now he is possibly proving a real drag where do they go?

Canada the world is watching.

On My Own…

For the last couple of days I have been riding the first rate public transport system in and out of Leicester. (I suspect if I rode the bus on a more regular basis I might have a different view!). Anyway as I sat there I noticed that I was the only enjoying the view out of the window. All of my fellow travelers had their heads buried in their phones. It is on days like this that I start to realise I am becoming and ‘old’ man.

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Barnsley No. 02

We all have good days and then we have bad days. The visit to Barnsley was a good day. As I write this less so. For anyone interested we visited Barnsley because my partner in crime David had always wanted to visit the Cooper Gallery.

The gallery is a joy. Great staff and art that reflects the town and region. The Cooper Gallery is unlikely to hold world class exhibitions: unlike its more illustrious galleries just up the road – the YSP and the Hepworth. Yet that is not the point of the gallery. It is a local resource and it is much the better for that. (If you want a more comprehensive description of the gallery then hope over to David’s blog)

The town centre is dominated by the Town that sits on top of Market Hill. Given all the nonsense going on at the moment I found the war memorial very chilling. But we have to live in the world as it is and so I’m afraid, we’ll be marching to a martial beat for the foreseeable future.

So if you are passing on the M1 then it might just be worth you while popping into see the good people of Barnsley. Oh and if you a really great meal try out the Estabulo Rodizio Bar & Grill. We enjoyed the food and you may well do to.

Editor’s Note: I promise I have not been paid a penny by the Barnsley tourist board (if there such a thing?)

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