Review of ‘Ghosts of the British Museum’ by Noah Angell

Today I share my review of ‘Ghosts of the British Museum’ by Noah Angell, which I read over Christmas and New Year. This author seems to have two agendas: 1) to share a vast array of ghosts and spirit experiences at the British Museum and 2) to decry those cultural thieves and looters at thisContinue reading “Review of ‘Ghosts of the British Museum’ by Noah Angell”

Book Review: ‘The Art of Life’ by SL Russell

Today I’m pleased to bring you my review of the latest novel from contemporary fiction author SL Russell, The Art of Life. Published by Resolute Books in August 2024 this is a compelling and deeply moving story I can recommend to all readers, and not only artists and art lovers. I’ve only just finished readingContinue reading “Book Review: ‘The Art of Life’ by SL Russell”

What’s On My Kindle Now

Most keen readers have ‘To Be Read’ piles. I have a physical pile of TBR books and many on my kindle. The popularity of ebooks is said to be almost taking over that of physical books, but many kindle readers will admit to downloading ebooks then forgetting they’re on the kindle, waiting to be read.Continue reading “What’s On My Kindle Now”

Flowers to Cheer our Spirits – and to send an Author and Artist Out to the Summer Festivals Again August 2023!

Some of the loveliest things can be found hanging over fences and in our gardens (and I don’t mean talkative neighbours!) No, I mean flowers, and so here is an uplifting gallery of them to cheer the spirits. Sometimes, for my weekly blog post, I just include my photos. But don’t forget I also sendContinue reading “Flowers to Cheer our Spirits – and to send an Author and Artist Out to the Summer Festivals Again August 2023!”

Highlights of My Australian Journey 2022: A Travel Diary #11 Tweed Regional Art Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, Murwillumbah, New South Wales

This is the eleventh highlight: the Tweed Regional Art Gallery was an enchanting discovery set in the idyllic landscape of the Tweed Valley. The Gallery showcased the work of Margaret Olley, Australia’s most celebrated painter of still life and interiors. What I learned of Margaret Olley fascinated me. She lived alone in a corner houseContinue reading “Highlights of My Australian Journey 2022: A Travel Diary #11 Tweed Regional Art Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, Murwillumbah, New South Wales”

Highlights of My Australian Journey 2022: A Travel Diary #9 Kiama, the Illawarra Film Festival and the Norman Lindsay Art Gallery, New South Wales

This is the ninth of my Highlights and includes some of the most outstanding experiences of my Australian trip. First, Kiama, which is down the coast south of Sydney. This was a base from which we planned to visit the Illawarra Film Festival in the Phoenix Theatre, Coniston. We were there because my daughter AbigailContinue reading “Highlights of My Australian Journey 2022: A Travel Diary #9 Kiama, the Illawarra Film Festival and the Norman Lindsay Art Gallery, New South Wales”

My Australian Journey 2022: #9 Norman Lindsay Art Gallery, Blue Mountains, NSW

I was delighted to visit Norman Lindsay’s property in the Blue Mountains. He was an extraordinary man who lived from 1879 to 1969 and he was a writer as well as a children’s writer poet and illustrator, a wartime cartoonist, a propaganda poster designer, artist, garden designer and sculptor. His home is now an artContinue reading “My Australian Journey 2022: #9 Norman Lindsay Art Gallery, Blue Mountains, NSW”

My Australian Journey 2022 #4: #ShiotaGOMA

This post is dedicated to an amazing exhibition we saw at GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art) on Brisbane’s South Bank. Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota presented ‘ The Soul Trembles’ – an astonishing collection of artworks and installations with the power to change the way you see the world. The first installation put these ideas intoContinue reading “My Australian Journey 2022 #4: #ShiotaGOMA”

A Visit to Compton Verney, Warwickshire, in December 2021

Compton Verney in Warwickshire is one of my favourite places; an elegant Georgian house set in a glorious landscape. A visit here and a walk through the Capability Brown parklands always gives me a feeling of bliss and tranquility. Capability Brown knew what he was up to when he rode through the grounds of theseContinue reading “A Visit to Compton Verney, Warwickshire, in December 2021”

A Tribute to a Gifted Friend: Multifaceted Artist Alison Hird-Beecroft

Today I want to celebrate a rare soul and gifted artist, a lover of the structure and form and beauty she found in the world, both in nature and in the built environment, who cunningly wove that into her own exquisite artefacts: Alison Hird-Beecroft. Alison was a dear friend of both myself and my sisterContinue reading “A Tribute to a Gifted Friend: Multifaceted Artist Alison Hird-Beecroft”