‘Go and see some lovely things. There is no one to impress.’ ― Emma Gannon
It’s been another little while.
One gets absorbed by life (by London), and then time flies; weeks have gone past, and we are all now well into Summer.
Lately, I have been struggling to carve out time for myself, but it is okay. It’s how things are meant to be now. Our return to London after a year in New Zealand has been filled with spending lots of time with friends and family here, finding a new place to live, and getting back to work.
I am sitting in the winter garden in our flat in Dalston, where we moved roughly two months ago. This is my new artist corner. The flat has a fantastic orientation, located at the corner of the building, with big windows facing south. The winter garden on the other facade (what a privilege to have one in London!) is facing southwest. This means that the last bits of the afternoon sun are coming in, filling every corner and painting the room with golden light. I am soaking it all in.
We have been enjoying some days of Sun in July, although it really doesn’t last long...
During this first half of the summer, I have been reading a lot.
I am a big fan of The Pound Project, an independent publisher based in the UK. They print on demand through regular campaigns, which means they only print the books people buy after they have advertised them. Last month, I had the pleasure of reading Emma Gannon’s latest book, A Year of Nothing. I am currently waiting to receive their last book Draw In, Draw Out, which I am so excited to read.
I am also rebuilding my Artist Dates and going out to the galleries.
Recently, I went to the Tate Modern to see the Expressionist exhibition, featuring paintings by the early 20th-century group - The Blue Rider - who broke conventions at the cusp of the First World War, painting not only what they were seeing, but also what they were feeling from it. The highlight of the exhibition was seeing some of those earlier Kandinskys, just before he turned too abstract. I also spent too much money in the art shop and got a couple of books and a print (all worth it).
London goes fast. Too fast sometimes (most of the time). It’s imperative to pause, slow down, and look. As Hockney says...
Happy reading! 📚✨
Ana
📚 What I’m reading in June & July 2024:
A Year of Nothing by Emma Gannon, published by The Pound Project.
The World According to David Hockney, published by Thames & Hudson introduced by Martin Gayford.
The Blue Rider by Florian Heine.
Kandinsky and Klee in Tunisia by Roger Benjamin with Cristina Ashjian (this book is such a gem).
La vida a ratos by Juan José Millás - a witty journal by one of my favourite authors in my native Spanish.
So pleased you’re settled now in London. The pace must be quite a change from that in New Zealand.
I have the exhibition at Tate Modern in my diary. Can’t wait to see it! The books you bought sound like they’re delicious reading. I’ll have to hang on to my credit card. 😀