Wild man life drawing at Turner Contemporary

The Turner Contemporary gallery held a couple of Wild man drawing sessions last week.
I managed to go along on Thursday and join in with the session.

I was intrigued with the subject matter, and indeed there was actually a wildman and his partner and baby, all dressed in a range of furs and fabrics.

They posed behind a cloth leaving us with great shadows to draw and also came out for us to draw.

Most of the poses were very short but I enjoyed working with my drawing pen and seeing the adults and children working along side with me.

The Turner Gallery does put on very good workshops and sessions, a lot of which are open for adults with and without children, so its worth looking at their programme.  Website here http://www.turnercontemporary.org/

Margate carnival

The annual Margate carnival went ahead on Sunday  after some fears that it might be cancelled because Mick Tomlinson a stalwart organiser of the carnival for the last 57 years was wanting to step down. He agreed  fortunately to oversee this years event and prepare to hand over to a new group of volunteers.

Fortunately he continued in the role this year, but it reminded me that a lot of community events are reliant on the energy and commitment of one or a small group of people for their continued existence.

It was a very hot day, I took some shade under the balcony near the gardens while I and  the crowds around me waited for the procession.

The street traders were out in force with their wrigglers on sticks, balloons, candy floss and toffee apples.

I still like the fact that these events are with the sea and beach in the background, something quite different from London.

I enjoyed the dancers, costumes and floats. The swan dancers costumes were beautiful, the samba and tropical themed danceres were energetic and brightly colourful with that real sense of a hot day.

The mechanical lions were great and Binbot pretty amazing, made from wheelie bins.

People seemed to be enjoying themselves and Margate seemed to come alive with all the crowds and energetic atmosphere.

Margate in the Mist and Gwen Ramsay's Exhibition

Last Sunday after a scorching hot week Margate was filled with sea mist. I could taste the salt in the damp air in the garden and the light was diffused and pale.

I went down to the sea and the Harbour Arm appreciating the change in perception that the mist brought. It was like seeing through a very fine veil.

People were still on the beach and swimming in the sea, not as many as had been but still making the most of the day. I enjoyed looking out across the pale aqua sea to the horizon now wreathed in mist.

I had gone down to see the latest exhibition in the Harbour Arm gallery.  The artist Gwen Ramsay was showing a range of paintings there. Her website here

I was drawn to her still figures in water,one called Night Swimming showed a female figure with her arms crossed in front of her, looking as though she was gently rising through the water which was full of stars.

There was another female and male figure with their heads just above the sea which

also had this very still quality which reminded me of the stillness in meditation.

One wall was full of small paintings of magnolia flowers in various shades of colour. They conveyed a sense of botanical collections. And the studies botanists made on their plant hunting trips.

I really enjoyed seeing the work which was in the very lovely small gallery on the Harbour Arm, with views out onto the harbour and sea front.

Curiosity exhibition at Turner Contemporary Gallery.

I've been back to see the exhibition Curiosity :Art and the Pleasures of Knowing at the Turner Contemporary gallery. I really like the exhibition with it's mix of historical and contemporay exhibits.
Thomas Grunfeld's work Misfit is quite arresting, I wasn't sure if it was a bit too disturbing at first. But I wanted to sketch it all the same.

A sketch of Thomas Grunfeld's sculpture.

It also appeals to the collector in me and some of the items I definately covet. There is for instance a collection of old German glass sea creatures, which is absolutely amazing. The skill of glass blowing and sculpting is amazing from trailing tentacles to sponges.

Similar glass sea creatures to those on show in the exhibition.

Similar sea creature to those on show at the exhibition.

Another display case holds some beautiful agates with their patterns suggesting landscapes.

I'm also appreciating a look at some of Turners work that is not normally exhibited. In the last exhibition it was some drawings from his lectures on perspective and studies of reflections in glass balls. This time there is a wall full of watercolours of birds, paintings I'd never seen before.

One of Turner's studies

They are lovely, very delicate in colour and feel. A lot of head studies and a few birds that had been collected for his studies after they had died.  The dead Jay and Ring Dove have a softness and lightness of touch that speaks to me of care for the birds in his observation.

Another of Turner's bird studies.

I liked Salvatore Arancio's works that had the look of historical engravings from the nineteenth century.  I made a sketch of one of the pieces. Site with an interview and work by Salvatore Arancio here

 A sketch of one of Salvatore Arancio's works.

Laurent Grasso's reproductions of historical photographs of popes and bishops looking through the telescope in the Vatican, really interested me. It started me thinking of the historical links between astrology and astronomy, which were much closer together in the past. Article about his work here

One of Laurent Grassos works.

The exhibition is on till the 15th September and is well worth a visit.