August Arts Newsletter
Walking through Cowparsley, oil on canvas 130x110cm framed
I hope you are having a lovely Summer so far. We have just returned from a family holiday to Canada which was a real adventure. I usually take watercolours away with me but this time I took water soluable pencils which had some interesting results. I plan to work a couple of the sketches up into paintings.
The above painting is the result of something I've been trying and failing to paint for a long time; cowparsley. It is one of my favourite wild flowers but it's so ethereal that it seems impossible to grasp in paint. This is the first cowparsley painting I have been happy with.
As usual I have a few exhibition recommendations, including one you must not miss if you are going up to the Edinburgh Festival. Enjoy!
Here at Common Works Gallery Katie and I are really busy getting everything ready for Art in the Park festival next month. If you are anywhere near Wimbledon please do come along.
Exhibitions to see this month
Dennis Morris: Music + Life is a full retrospective of the London photographer's work. Best known for his portraits of Bob Marley and other reggae or punk legends, this show also concentrates on Morris's stunning documentary photographs from 1970s Hackney. His ability to connect with his subjects is clear, from popstars to groups of kids everyone responded to his lens. Photographers Gallery until 21Aug
Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years is another retrospective, this time of Britain's best land artist. Using items from nature or usually found on and around farms, Goldsworthy makes beautiful and fun assemblages that sometimes last seconds and other times are permanent. As a student, I squashed clay for 2 days for Goldsworthy whilst he was making a cracked clay wall spiral for the Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh. He was a delight to work for and his work is fantastic so if I'm anywhere near Edinburgh before November I shall definitely see this. Royal Scottish Academy until 2Nov
Emily Kam Kngwarray (1914-1996) was a renowned Australian artist who only started painting very late in life but once she started she couldn't stop and she produced over 3,000 works in 7 years. Kngawarray's work stems from her indigenous Anmatayerr culture in the Northern territory of Australia. The paintings are big, joyous and impactful. Recommended. Tate Modern until 11Jan26
The Petrie Museum is not new but I do like to occasionally include fantastic, small London museums that often get overlooked. This museum is part of UCL and home to one of the most important collections of Egyptian and Sundanese archaeology in the world. There is a cornucopia of treasures providing insight into how people lived in the Nile valley. Not to be missed is a 5,000yr old Tarkhan dress. I guarantee this will be less crowded than the British Museum! Petrie Museum, free, Tues-Sat
Sketches made in my concertina sketch book in Canada using watercolour pencils. Turns out photographing a concertina sketchbook is really hard!
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www.katharinerowe.com
katharine@katharinerowe.com
