Friday 30 December 2011


in these times of social networking
it's easy to skim the timeline
click 'like'
post a comment:

yes we're all happy here
see the photos to prove it:
but are they?
are we?

what about real conversation?
longer than 140 characters
or a status update:


scratch the surface and there's
so much more to 
see
share
learn:

someone said to me recently
'it's never just you'

a personal mantra for the coming year
2012
a time for thinking of
and being with others:

let's reconnect 
in real life:

Saturday 24 December 2011

☯ tis the season

wishing you all a
happy happy holiday
and
an exciting new year
from the whole of my heart

Tuesday 13 December 2011

▯▮ frames per minute

there's something more
to site specific works:
they bring a set of interactions
to a familiar place:

we all need time to sit and stare
or run around without inhibition 
or care
like the children do here ☟
                               

Saturday 10 December 2011

❏❐ pictures on the wall

something for everyone
at the white wallspace gallery:
    canvas, paper, print, paint:
colour, shape, texture, composition:
local landmarks:
{peter vinten}
the familiar in new mediums:
{alan hockett}
the quirky:
{joe howlett}
and mine:
sips 1~4:
new work and the beginning of an
ongoing project:

go see for yourself:
until 24th December

Sunday 27 November 2011

^..^ purr

it was over 17 year ago 
when we visited Beryl's house:
she worked for the Cat Protection League
and we chose two little abandoned kittens
to take home and love:
Murmur & Momus:

Momus was a ginger tom who sadly died 
mysteriously within a few months:
Murmur was the runt of the litter:
a tiny black cat with a lot to say for herself:
she didn't much like other cats:
but she really loved humans:
even tiny ones:
lazing around her favourite past time:
'talking' and purring:
such a vocal puss:

when we moved to a house on a busy road,
she moved to my brothers home:
he and his girlfriend gave her the 
run of their place:
they affectionately called her 'Madam Ming'

I would ring him up and I could hear
Murmur in the background,
miaowing and purring
'hey me me I'm over here'
dear dear Murmur:
watching the birds from her throne
and murmuring:
loved by us all and always remembered:

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Monday 7 November 2011

❶ late night tales

on the first thursday of every month
the galleries and museums of
east London open their doors late
for a chance to see some amazing
art, culture and events after hours:

our mystery tour began with
'so the wind won't blow it all away'
a private view at East Gallery:
.... in front of you looking inward 
I'm still ....
by Joanna Burejza
the naked form blurred but still 
distinguishable:
like richter and bacon before her:
b.- d. working title 
by maeve berry
a hand portrait can be just
as expressive as the face:
                               
family obscured by sam taylor
discarded film negatives
reclaimed and destroyed 
to create a photograph of abstract warmth:
it was busy in the gallery
so we headed off to eat:
these streets are full of gifts:
around every corner:
you never know what you'll find:
irreducible complexity by andrea hasler:
quick march to the whitechapel gallery
richard of york gave battle in vain
selected from over 13,500 works from the 
Government Art Collection
by the artist Cornelia Parker:
a curious display of colour coded art:
which wall would you gravitate to?
yellow/green ....
odeon by bridget smith
shelf like no.5 by david batchelor
poor thing by gary hume
work no.253:things 2000 by martin creed

the gallery was closing as the clock struck 9
we strolled through the empty market
to find free books for all:
selecting as many as I could carry
we headed home with a heartful of art:

Sunday 30 October 2011

✈ zero air miles

this morning I took some home
made jam and pickles to ☟
a sharing of food and knowledge:
no money changed hands:
lots of produce to choose from:
locally grown:
and picked:
ric from earthangel organics
gave us tips on growing vegetables
over winter:
we drank tea and talked cake:
we chatted about art and wine making:
I swapped for a gingerbread phantom
and a jar of lemon curd
a jar of beetroot chutney, two pears
and some physalis:
not that's my kind of morning:
can't wait for the next one
11th December:
what will you bring?

Tuesday 25 October 2011

0o0 in between

"yeah you park up by the church
then walk down a bit
and there's this place ...."
this little church
is between giants:
they make soap:
it also has a claim to fame:
we couldn't go inside:
so we looked outside:
like so many before us:
then we found the footpaths:
along the river:
a smell of salt mixed with washing powder:
miles and miles of graffiti wall:
tagged and sprayed:
claimed and reclaimed:
while industry ignores:
and the mud retains:

Saturday 22 October 2011

⍾⍾ all that glisters

yesterday we caught the last day of
bioluminescence 
by Mila Nesterova
it was a little awkward to view the 
photographs as people were
eating and networking:
Mila's lightboxes were so striking:
 fashion meets dance meets theatre 
meets clubbing meets light:
movement: energy: graffiti:
{bioluminescence: nature}
produce made human:
surreal:
extreme:
radioactive:
confused beautiful:
a sneaky peep at the amazing 
lightbulb ceiling downstairs
and a bowl of delicious cauliflower curry soup:
fitting: