Patrick Heron at Turner Contemporay

Every time I go to Turner Contemporary in Margate I say I should go more often - it's only  half an hour by train from Faversham, it's by the sea , has interesting  free exhibitions and an excellent café. What's not to like! So  I was very happy to join fellow painting friends Hazel , Teddy and Jean  when it was suggested we made a  visit to the Patrick Heron  exhibition for our monthly Thursday meet-up. 

We talked all the way there ( and back) , had a  quick  look round the Cornelia  Parker installation 'Perpetual Canon' ( above ) before an early lunch and coffee to  set ourselves up  

 It was interesting to compare  loose vigorous mark-making with the  stronger, simpler compositions  with their juxtapositions of colour 

These looked deceptively simple but if you looked closer, especially in a raking light , you could see  the intricate brushwork and layering which gave a subtly complex surface. One of the reasons  it's so important to see painting in the flesh rather than just reproductions 

 Another interesting aspect was seeing his early  and later works hung  together 

I particularly liked  his late gouaches , with their soft chalky bleeding edges, repetition of shapes and dark against dark, ( these were framed behind glass so difficult to take photos of). I haven't used them since I was at school , I either use transparent watercolours or acrylics, but seeing these makes me want to experiment with them again. In some he painted using the tube on wet paper ,  with very exciting marks 

This pair of paintings were hung  next to each other  and I can see why. The shapes of the later abstract painting below, echo some of the forms and colours used in  the earlier , more figurative painting of gardens above. Once you got your eye in , you could see he used the same motifs again and again in other works. 

The layers of bleeding colours  in this 'stripe ' painting ' Lux Eterna' are mesmerising , reminding me of Gerhard Richters 'Cage ' paintings with their hidden depths. Also the edges were interesting and  then I found this statement of how important they were to him. 

 I attempted to draw the  colours and composition  of this piece ' Blue Painting Sept 1961"  in my sketchbook. What drew me to it ( apart from it being like indigo!)  was the very subtle variations in colour of blue  with little tonal contrast ( except for the bright orange complimentary colour right on the edge of course!). The balance and tension are masterly. I've   found before how difficult it is to get an accurate colour match for indigo when printing or on the computer. The picture above is my own photo  which I've manipulated in photoshop  as well as I can to get an accurate depiction of what attracted me  . The pictures of the same piece of work  found on the web (below)  while probably more attractive as posters/postcards give a very different impression of the work 

The piece 'Horizontal Painting  with soft black squares 1959' ( above) was  a favourite when I asked which piece we'd take home with us. Unfortunately  under agreements of loan for the painting you couldn't take photos  . Again, you can see big differences in the different versions found on the web 

In general , it was worth the trip and there was a lot to admire, but while I liked it I didn't love  it, it didn't set my heart racing like some of the work by Peter Lanyon or Terry Frost . 

What was exciting  was the children's workshop that was going on while we were there ( it was half term ) ,  building up pictures in coloured acetate that were then  sealed in a laminator. I wanted to have a go but I  would need to take a child with me ! 

 These coloured paddles  used to demonstrate  colour mixing were fantastic, I wanted to take them home with me , I shall have to ask for some in my Xmas stocking! It was appropriate that the installation ' Dutch Light' with Chatham Dockyards    seen on an earlier visit  was still there.  

Tate Britain: Drawing Tuesday

  Last week's 'Drawing Tuesday' was at Tate Britain  where I followed the exercise we'd done there when I  visited with advanced painting group.  I concentrated mainly on work in the galleries  from  end of 19th beginning of 20th Century . Canadian  artist Elizabeth Forbes  was new to me -  what drew my eye was the interesting composition  and her treatment of  the subject matter ( we've a lot of marshes and channels in the 'land between' around here ) Although quite a gentle palette of colours, I liked the use of light outlining of dark and the brushmarks follow the contours

 Dora Carringtons' 'Farm at Watendlath'  is an old favourite , it really does capture the  Lake District , the lines of the walls and the monumental nature of the fells. It's basically a palette of greens and greys   but with strong contrasts of dark and light. The figures add a sense of mystery.

Whistlers ' Nocturne Blue and Silver  Chelsea'  was an interesting challenge in trying to analyse the colours  in such a subtle piece ( and also  a lesson in accuracy or not in reproduction) The top image is from the Tate website, the photo below what I took with my phone which show how much more varied and subtle the colours and tones were.  It  demonstrates  how important it is to see artworks in the flesh. The  bushstrokes were very evident - it looks like glazes over a darker ground  and the boat looked like paint had been removed . Lovely murkiness ! It reminded me how much I enjoyed the exhibition 'Turner, Whistler,Monet' and had me returning to the catalogue!  

 I only realised a bit later that all 3 examples I chose to examine had high horizon lines - obviously a subliminal preference of mine that I should take heed of .

After lunch in the  Djanogly café ( a bit peeved that  unlike  V&A and British Museum, you don't get a  discount in their restaurants  for being a member ) , I revisited the Paul Nash exhibition and  drew a few pieces of work, it really makes you  see what's going on.

Meanwhile,  I've finally finished painting the dining room , it looks so much lighter and  warmer (it's North facing and the coldest room in the house). I'm  pleased with my work, particularly that I haven't lost the knack with skirting boards. When I worked  in a  Youth Hostel  30+  years ago, we were closed for a month for repairs and repainting - I did miles of skirting in the dormitories, hard on the knees  with no carpet and no heating.