A Day in London – Tate Modern, Matisse Cut-outs, Shakespeare’s Globe & the Millennium Bridge

Tate Modern, London is a building and a half. The former power station is architecturally impressive and awe inspiring. This was my first visit, and to tell you the truth I found it quite overwhelming – I had heard of the Turbine Hall, but the scale of the open space it offers is so huge, families picnic in it!
Before viewing the Matisse Cut-outs, I had time to visit the fantastic cubist collection on public display – Picasso, Gris, Kandinsky to name but a few – lots of wonderful inspiration for mixed media and textiles.

 

Turbine Hall
Freidrich Vordemberge-Gildewart
Robert Delaunay
Georges Braque
Juan Gris
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Wassily Kandinski

The Matisse Exhibition was not at all what I expected… it was better!… all I can say is that two hours of my life were spent in colour heaven. All the cut-outs were created in solid colours, all cut from papers painted in gauche ….. lots of colour, colour, and more colour. The scale of his work ran from small journals to designs for huge, stain glass, church windows. I am stunned at what Matisse could create with failing eye sight, plain painted papers and a pair of scissors.
There was ‘no photography’ allowed within the Matisse Exhibition, but here are a few images from the shop that give a flavour of the display.

 

 

…. Then a quick look next door at Shakespeare’s Globe and a wander along Southbank and under the Millennium Bridge….. another brilliant day in London… I was on a high all the way home.

Shakespeare’s Globe
Millennium Bridge

Making Paper – Elephant Dung, Shredded Bank Notes & Wimbledon

What do Elephant Dung, Shredded bank notes and Wimbledon all have in common?  Frogmore Mill  has been making paper for centuries and it’s most recent products, which are all manufactured on site, now include some of these ‘extra materials’.

If you know me, you’ll understand by now that I’ve confessed to one addiction – I adore anything textiles.

It’s confession time. I love paper too, in particular little note books, and own way more than I should do.

Mill Shopping

The Mill is just down the road from me, hence from time to time I find my self drifting in for new supplies to use in my new Embroidery Course.

making paper with elephant dung

The paper is available in various weights. Some paper I use for mounting design work, although I rather like the thicker papers for sewing into. 

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