Tuesday 20 November 2012

Having a Kent Day


We've just had a lovely couple of days in Whitstable, Kent. I couldn't find an exhibition I fancied reviewing for December’s Workshop on the Web and then realised that Prism had a follow-on there from their Mall Gallery show. Are we mad, going all the way from Dorset to Kent to review an exhibition? Well we probably are, but we needed a break and were tempted by the idea of what we call a ‘Kent Day’.

These special days started when I used to teach a group up that way as a mentoring exercise – two or three times a year. They were a lovely gang and produced great work. I had to go up the day before and Clive often came with me so we would have a fun day. It went something like this:

1. Take packed lunch. Eat it at bird-watching lake at Oare (with binoculars). Good birding there.
2.   Then drive to Ashford for retail therapy at the outlet shopping centre. Good excuse for a little spend.
3.    Have coffee and cake to hold off hunger pangs.
4.    To the cinema complex for a snooze or a film – sometimes both.
5.    Back to hotel for a char-grilled steak.


We followed this time honoured pattern on Friday and it was lovely. Saw the latest James Bond and purchased some Chrissie pressies. Good meal and, joy of joys, Clive has discovered gin and tonic. Since he became diabetic he can’t drink wine for some reason and it’s miserable not being able to share. Someone suggested G & T and it was good. Not that we booze a lot, but the odd glass now and then is a lovely treat.

Reviewed the exhibition next day. Just to whet your appetite here is a general pic of the gallery. Small but intimate and the hanging was well considered.




I love this piece by Lisa Earley Seen but not Heard. Here’s a detail. Her layers all work together beautifully.




Another piece I liked was Moonlight on Water by Sheila Cahn. Such a lovely rippled effect.



You will find more about this exhibition in Workshop on the Web in December. The reviews are on the unrestricted area so everyone can see them. It is on until January in the Whitstable Museum and Art Gallery.

When we came home on Sunday, it was to an urgent need to finish Lynda Monk’s new book, due at the printers and freshly back from the copy editor. We made it and, although I hate working on Sundays, it was worth it to start the week so well. It is a lovely book and it Should be available in early December.

4 comments:

Heather said...

Your fun days sound perfect. The exhibition looks wonderful - pity it is too far for me to get to.
I've never taken to alcohol in any form or got any benefit from it but do wonder if people think I'm a reformed alcholic when I ask for orange or tomato juice! Glad Clive has found a tipple that won't do him any harm.
I might just have to treat myself to Lynda Monk's book for Christmas. There are already two other presents on top of the wardrobe from my husband.

Wabbit said...

Oooh, G&T, my favorite. Please tell Clive welcome to the bar!

Your mini-break sounds lovely and it's so good for you both to get away and decompress a bit.

And a new book from Lynda sounds like a Christmas present from me to me!!!

Diane said...

I am looking at the last few blogs and after 3-wonderful weeks in Norway. I now need to start work again and have some hand work that I can finish off while rehabilitating after I get a new knee after Christmas. My
Christmas present to myself!! Firstly though. I have an very old printer which I purchased on ebay for printing on work that I think might wreck my good printer. Old printers are very cheap on ebay if anyone is interested. They seem to stand up to all sorts of physical abuse.
Maggie I just love the diary pieces and hopefully they will give me some inspiration. The work by Sheila Cahn has given me an idea for the swoopy pictures that I took in a cathedral while in Norway. Now I just need to get motivated.

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