Another Ealing Gallery (Temporary) and Red 1- the end of the 365

Mostra Art Space W5 5AA

So yesterday mentioned an Ealing Art Gallery (permamant) here's the temporary one at 16 Bond Street W5 5AA - Polish artist and gallery (Mostra) with diverse work on show.

The artist is now focusing on Mythology but earlier work shows connections with Caravaggio (and I think Braques).

Great use of the empty unit.

References to classical art and mythology  on show

Red 1

I've been thinking about how I'd finish (my almost) year long quest, I thought about using others Red centred  work  or going out and painting something  Red (my shed?)

But this would have gone against the direction of what I've done which was  something that contained  elements of  'chance and serendipity'.

So  in the end I came across this in a nearby shop last week (I didn't mess with it)  and it kind of summarises the endeavour.

The Project has acted as a mixture of Diary and provided some Photographic favourites  (for me) too.

Sort of sums it up

Tomorrow we wrap it up (it was a Leap Year)  - if you're in London come and have a chat with me about it (and the next project too )  at Ealing, Bond Street Pop up from 11th November  until about 20th

Ealing Gallery and Red 2

A Gallery in Ealing - definitely welcome

So on chatting with Tim Layden the other day we got to talking about his work (without him)  touring China and the subject of showing his work more locally.

Interesting to learn that there's a high-endish Gallery in Ealing just by St Mary's Church (Felix and Spear)  - I hope it does well but it's a challenge to get people to travel away from the usual Mayfair/West End artistic homeland and when I passed by last week it sis look quiet.


Looking trough the window I see they have an exhibition of  predominantly  Oil on Canvas works by the  painter  Richard Cook  - 'She Lies Within My Sleep', hope to have a proper look soon.

Stone Circle (2014) by Richard Cook

Pumpkin Trail 

Well I couldn't believe the numbers at yesterday's Northfields Allotments Pumpkin Trail - weather was very kind and this is obviously (in retrospect) just the sort of event that local people will get out of their armchairs for - Children of course like the spooky.

The hard work by the organisers paid off in getting more coverage and publicity around the desire of 'Pathways' to change the use of part of the site.

A Message going out to Pathways?

Pop Concert like crowds 

Red 2

Well keeping with the Allotment/Halloween theme - decorations (understated) on Plot 202 included these 'Bloody' Red Hands

The Red hand of Halloween beckons to the end of the project..

Pumpkin Trail and Red 3

And downright odd

Do come along

Unusually trailing an event - not reflecting

We're having  a Halloween event at Northfields Allotments today - support us if you're in West London

Spook-ish

And scary

Red 3

The clock is really ticking (last few days of Red)  .. Put the kettle on

A very red Teapot

Ealing Hairdressers, Heathrow favoured and Red 4

Say it Loud and Proud 

I quite often hear bits of the Jeremy Vine Radio programme (BBC Radio 2 weekday lunchtimes) - I like the sincerity that the host brings to the topicality of the show.


Last week I think it was I heard an interview of one of the guys from South Ealing's M&M hairdressers, the 'salon' has hit the news in the past for its' Mickey take of the North Korean dictator's short back and sides haircut (his father's was even worse) - seems it brought about an intervention from the staff of the nearby embassy (it's rather oddly a 'normal' looking house on the North Circular Road).


They've got a winning formula for publicity and bring a smile to the face of passers by  - The display now is of the two leading contenders for the US presidency .

M&M Hair Academy display an even handed approach to US politics 

Heathrow favoured

So the government has made a sort of decision on London's airport expansion, Zac Goldsmith is calling a sort of referendum (No 'official Tory will oppose him the Richmond By-Election).

It does seem puzzling that the opinion that the Prime-Minister had about the extra air traffic previously has now been revised.

Of course Crossrail leads to Heathrow 

There are two pretty big questions that do need answering:

1) Is extra airport capacity needed in the crowded South East?

 and if it is

2) Why are the Tory Government  not going with the quicker, cheaper speedier alternative - Gatwick that 'solution'  destroys far less homes and has a lower impact on the lives of the people living in the  capital?

This story has I feel quite a lot of (air) mileage in it!

Red 4

25 years of the Big Issue and a Red vest..

Sometimes it feels like 'Us and Them'.

Eating out at Isabella's W5 and Red 5

A pleasant meal and I find my judgement lacking (again)

It's odd how quickly we forget - I'm saying this in connection with the changing face of Shops, Cafés and Restaurants.

{Like the New Broadway Pizza Hut which then became Maggie's and now is a Turkish 'Mikla' cafe}

After a few months it can be difficult really to recall what went before (unless you've got the photo's!)

Anyway the other day we had a meal in one of the new restaurants in Ealing's Bond Street, Isabella's Kitchen  and I enjoyed it but I think the place used to be (something like) The New Leaf China Restaurant but I'm not 100% sure.

I had thought while the premises  were being fitted out it was going to be Spanish - from the name but it's actually an Italian with quite a short menu, lots of Pizzas and some Pasta and 'Carne' dishes, I had a sort of Kebab which was very nice.

We ate upstairs as it was actually considering it was a weekday pretty busy and the service we had  was good the table next to us had a family  birthday celebration in full swing and when the party left they passed on the remainder of their wine which I thought was incredibly kind - Meal was reasonably priced too - we didn't have the Pizza (apart from a Bruschetta  starter version) but the small looked a fair size so goodness knows how the regular was.

Another variety of Cafe that'll opens soon - it's past the old cinema site in Ealing

Red 5

I'm not sure that it really looks like me - but it's Red

I thought I was much taller

Final Leap Brochures and Red 6

Only about week until my 365 (or 366) project is over-ish and  I'm trying to prepare some contents for the shop Helen and I will use for a few days next month.

Read left to right

'Collectable'

First time I've lined up these two prints that sort of work as a pair (StarWars Storm-troopers)  and am doing a selection of slightly varied brochures about the 'enterprise' too

Worksodhy (To rhyme with rhapsody) 

The Orchard Boys drinks  venue -The Drayton

I'm after coining some new words - for this one it'll be a portmanteau job.

I was out having a drink with artist friends John and Tim (I hope they're okay with me calling them friends I'm sure they'll not have a problem with the 'artist' - we were together at BEAT Orchard Café) - we got to talking about how you can get lost in stuff (when you're in the Zone)  - I'm not sure that the stuff can be described as work and I forgot to tell them it's called 'flow'.

Red 6

This time of year it's obvious that 'greenery isn't always

Autumnal Reds

Memento Mori Adding details and Red 7

It's that time of year

It's only a couple of weeks or so before Helen and I take up our temporary residency in Bond Street (and a week to the end of my 365 Project).


As well as mounting and framing my photographic prints  I'm trying to put together a sheet about each of the photo's I'm offering for sale  - this triggered partly by the fine details I see at some exhibitions) as opposed to those with nothing) but also as I find more about the subjects and reflect on the results.

A page about the picture

First is my own personal capture of a shop window's Memento Mori - this is a really rich area and encompasses one of my favourite Paintings at London's National Gallery  by Holbein (The Younger) The Ambassadors and the subject of Noah Scalin's own 365 Project .

I rather like this one - will others?

Red 7

Happy Birthday Debbie- what better way to mark it than with a 'red' gift.

.. oh yes, The Present's a Gift.

Apples, Allotments and Red 8

Still unpicked.

 Apples

 I've noticed that in what appears to have been a good year for apples in the UK many fruits have (and still do) remain unpicked - I'm not sure what this says about the state of the country and our diet -I wonder if the trees had Twix bars there'd be more interest?

 (And here are some tips for pickers)

Allotments 

A historic site

Good to see that the London Standard has coverage of the story about 'our' (Northfields) Allotments - development proposals are being downward tweaked but for me there's a real principle involved -Bishop of London bequeathed (1832-ish) land for specific purpose - allotments not housing I don't think our Law would (or should)  support this high handed attitude by career administrators seeking to impress.

(BBC Radio London been covering too)

Red 8

Well we've had a few forms of Red in transport- busses, bikes, cars even scooters  here's a predominantly red taxi..

Usually black this is far brighter.

More at the Saatchi and Red 9

The smell of oil is something I'm forever associating with the Saatchi Gallery because of the work of Richard Wilson (20:50) - have tried to capture the scope of his site specific installation there.

an odd 360 degrees

I'm hoping that it doesn't similarly suggest flogging a dead horse  or a load of pots  - what I generally get when I visit the gallery is a air of 'cool' and a slower pace from the rest of London - The man behind the venue doesn't get a great media coverage (in terms of his persona) but he does give us a place worth pausing in.

Jerusalem Donkey (2015)  by Mia Feuer 

Maha Malluh's Burnt Pots (570 of them)

I like their shop too

A part of their shop

Red 9

We've had a few Red Phones (354 and 60)  - this'll be the last and the 'Bling-iest'

A phone for a Princess?

Pre-Christmas stuff and Red 10

A display accoutrement 

Off to Kingson (both 'Royal' on Thames) yesterday not with any clear plan in mind but something of a lock-down next week (lots to do)  pleased to get a bargain price Dart easel (late birthday present from Cass Art) and a little 'ladder' for showing prints.

A tripod

[Please note our Ealing Pop Up now starting November 10th - more on that soon.]

Christmas stuff already in the shops - seems to me a fine line between 'Quirky' and 'Tatt' BHS always used to have a lot of their 'Novelty' gifts on Sale for most of the year perhaps retailers should be cautious but the big mark-ups would I'm sure tempt.


I'm sure Marmite (the brand) are rubbing their hands together after the recent free advertising - it though will be recalled as part of the post Brexit blues and a £14.95 jigsaw seems to be just rubbing salt into the wound.

Imagine the forced smile as you unwrap your Marmite Jigsaw puzzle

Red 10

And perhaps to file under novelty the M&Ms  a nice bug Red M

They've got a West end store too

Henri Barande and Red 11

Visiting the Saatchi gallery by Sloane Square after it's return to 'normal' (it was home for the summer to a Rolling Stones exhibition) I was reminded what a pleasure it is to spend time there- big spaces and the opportunity to get close to the works set it apart from many London spaces.

Some of the work on show I was seeing for a second time like the multiple  canvases of Julia Wachtel and the  highly detailed faces of Jelena Bulajic.

Ljubica by Jelena 

Landscape No. 19 by Julia 

What stood out to me on this visit though was the work of the enigmatic and somewhat reclusive French artist Henri Barande and in particular his take on The Last Supper (as far as I and some other visitors could decode).

A sign to

What was odd about it was the way that from a distance it created the image but as you got closer it was gone - like some sort of post Briget Riley Op art on Crack it felt  wildly addictive.

many big bold works

And some times you see it

But it doesn't get clearer.

Red 11

And still on the art theme  here's a Mondrian- influence tile arrangement  at Pimlico

Mondrian liked his Reds too 

The Politics of the Possible and Red 12

To my mind the smoke signals and releases  coming from the UK government on the decision on London's airport expansion do not reflect well on the need for a strong approach to the anti-EU vote of this summer.

Should the decision to fudge and prevaricate  be the one that prevails (as in kicking the can down the road) British business will be left worrying about the decisiveness of intent and an opportunity for new British jobs will be at best delayed.

Many people felt that on becoming Prime-Minister Theresa May her pledges were something more than empty rhetoric but already she seems to be embroiled in battling the treasury and second guessing some of her more errant colleagues - No decision on Heathrow may spur  on Gatwick to proceed with its own expansion regardless  and depending on the phrasing of the announcement Zac Goldsmith may decide to delay his by-election but these are small scale wins for the PM and do not show the clear decisive direction that the electorate hanker for.

My first home -Now and   30 years or so ago

Affordable Housing

A price beyond many 

At the same time as London faces decision delay on the Airport expansion housing prices in the capital remain beyond the reach of many - looking in a local estate agent I noticed for rent a 'starter' home in the road (in Ealing) where I bought my first house many years ago - it's up for rent at £1,500 pcm - unattainable for many on above average pay now.

Surely if Government can effect change housing is an area they should focus on.

Red 12

Nature's bounty again with a very Red  Hawthorn berry

Hawthorn Berry  you can make a jelly with them.