Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery bookstall at Dulwich Park Fair (Anna Bonavia, Judy Mewburn and Sally-Ann Johnson)

As in previous years, Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery ran a second hand bookstall at Dulwich Park Fair on 16 May 2010. We arrived to set up shop at 9.30am with boxes and boxes of surplus to requirements books people had kindly donated.

Titles included mainstream bestsellers, history, biographies, children’s books, coffee table books and the more esoteric tomes. We wondered if the dubious weather would keep folks away, but no! We had a steady stream of customers, undoubtedly helped by our stall being situated conveniently near the café.

Some people were treasure hunting for particular titles or authors. Others were simply browsing for something to read on the train. By the end of the day, we had sold hundreds of books and raised £234 for the Friends!

So, a gigantic thank you to all of you out there who either donated or purchased books. See you next year!

If you are thinking you might  join the Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery, check out your benefits and how the Picture Gallery’s might benefit from your membership here.

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Old College Lawn Tennis Club, Dulwich

No, we don’t have satellite controlled balls that will win the point every time, at least not yet. But we do have a state-of-the-art on line court booking system that has finally replaced an archaic paper one.

The system permits members to book a court slot away from club or at the clubhouse and to cancel a booking, if necessary, remotely. It also requires players to check in before play at the clubhouse touch screen, to record that they have used their booking, and then -finally – to play their match on booked courts. It also brings some welcome improvements in the control of bookings and will prevent any abuse of the pre-booking privilege.

Maria Szekely, Chair of the club, says ‘This system brings to an end the most intense period of investment in facilities that the club has known. Over the past six months the club has resurfaced three courts, refurbished netting and walkways, and extended its floodlit facilities to a fifth court. All of which makes membership of this thriving club an even better bargain! Keen players are playing madly even on these frosty days. Perhaps the next investment should be undercourt heating to give ice free courts.’

For details of the club please go to their website at: http://oldcollege.co.uk/contact.php

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Crystal Palace on fire 1936 (image courtesy of Crystal Palace Museum)

The 30th of this month – November – is the anniversary of the Crystal Palace being destroyed by fire in 1936.

From construction to destruction, the history of this vast glass and iron structure is kept alive in The Crystal Palace Museum located off Anerley Hill, London SE19.

Fittingly housed in the only remaining building from the original Victorian site, this quaint treasure of a museum perfectly captures the mood and era of the Great Exhibition. And the 82 years that the Palace stood at Sydenham.

Here’s a flavour of some of the exhibits: a cross-section plan of the Great Exhibition building, pictures of the art directors and Henry Cole, thought to have had the idea for an international exhibition, pictures of the actual construction, pieces of porcelain, maps and a model of the Crystal Palace donated by Dulwich College. And from the fire in 1936, a fragment of a pane of glass folded by the heat, plasterwork and a piece of crystal from one of the fountains.

With no local authority funding, the Museum relies on donations. They open weekends and bank holidays and at other times by arrangement, and offer guided tours. Some wonderful archive images of Crystal Palace artifacts can be found on their web site, including items saved from the fire. It’s easy to imagine the splendour of grandeur of the Crystal Palace from these picture. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone recreated it “virtually”? Or perhaps they already have? Leave a comment below if you know anything.

If you have questions, the Museum’s helpful friendly staff seem more than happy to share their knowledge. A little anecdote I learned from them is that some visitors come expecting to see the actual Great Exhibition itself, only to learn they are some 70 years too late!

This lovely museum is well worth a visit. Please check the The Crystal Palace Museum web site.

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1. Can You Imagine Crystal Palace Rebuilt?
2. A stroll with Pissarro in Dulwich and Crystal Palace (Part 2)
3. A stroll with Pissarro in Dulwich and Crystal Palace (Part 1)

Featuring the music of Benjamin Britten and Gustav Holst, the Dulwich Choral Society presents a treat for local music lovers

Aidan Oliver, Director of Music, Dulwich Choral Society (image courtesy of Aidan Oliver)

Distinguished young conductor, Aidan Oliver, is the present director of music. Aiden is also director of music at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, the Parliamentary Church next to Westminster Abbey, and founding chorus master of Philharmonia Voices, a professional chorus which works with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

On Saturday 21 November 2009 at 7.30pm, the eve of Benjamin Britten’s birthday, the Choral Society will perform his thrilling cantana on the life of Saint Nicholas, with the choir of James Allen’s Girls School appearing in the Gallery Choir. The music of Gustav Holst, a former director of music at JAGS, is also featured in celebration of the composer’s 75th anniversary year, including his ever popular St Paul’s Suite for Strings. The venue is All Saints Church, Rosendale Road, West Dulwich, SE21.

Tickets £12 in advance (£5 for under 17s) available from The Art Stationers, Dulwich Village, SE22; South London Music, Grove Vale, East Dulwich, SE22; or call 020 7274 2349 (£14 on the door). Check out the Dulwich Choral Society web site for more information.

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Lelly Young textiles

Thursday 19 November 2009 at 6.30pm in Dulwich Picture Gallery and Cloisters

Furthermore, this year’s Christmas card is a view of Venice in the snow by one of the country’s most distinguished artists, Ken Howard RA. Ken Howard will be at the Gallery signing copies of the card – but he has also most generously offered us the opportunity to auction the original painting itself, with half of the proceeds going directly to the Gallery. This would make someone a very special present indeed – and benefit your favourite Gallery too! The auction, the climax of a wonderful evening, will be conducted by Gallery Trustee, Noël Annesley, Honorary Chairman of Christie’s.

The Cloisters will be packed with gorgeous Christmas presents and goodies from local artists and shops: Roullier White with perfume and treats from their shop, Chris Keenan with his exquisite porcelain pots, Flux Studios with their stunning jewellery, Layla Mathers Mama Ruby bags, Lelly Young appliqued textiles and Antonia Jacob Knitwear.

Nic Webb’s fabulous carved spoons made from the Swamp Cypress that was in Dulwich Picture Gallery garden and cut down recently will also be on sale. Nic and three other artists from the same studios will be there.

See DOV articles: What Happened to the Dulwich Swamp Cypress?

Farewell to the Swamp Cypress

There is no charge to come to this event. Don’t miss it!

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1. Highest bidder wins: Ken Howard painting auctioned at Dulwich Picture Gallery Christmas Bazaar!
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Friends book stall

Our stall was a fine tent in a good spot conveniently near the cafe (handy for tea breaks). Stock comprised boxes and boxes of used books donated by various people. Most had been collected in advanced but some people came along on the day to give bags of unwanted reading material. As in previous years, our merchandise proved a fascinating, if not eclectic mix: fiction, non-fiction, classical literature, popular bestsellers, childrens books, books on cookery, travel (lots of Lonely Planets), gardening, art, sport and more.

We set up shop at around 10am. Bargain hunters started to arrive at about 11am. It got progressively busier throughout the day and we served our last customers at 5.30pm. People were undetered by the rain, although it felt as though our lovely tent might blow away in the heavy gusts at times!

Anna, Sally-Ann and Judy (Friends Committee members)

To keep kiddies entertained while their parents browsed the stall, we had a “paint your own picture” table, where much fun was had with crayons, glitter and glue. And much mess was made!

Some people were looking for particular books and others happy to browse the lucky dip. Last year we had lots of requests for sports books and this year poetry. The must be a poetry renaissance going on!

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Duomo door

Tagging a day’s holiday onto a recent business trip, I had from ”9 to 5″ to do this northern Italian city justice before my late flight to Heathrow. So here goes…9am: coffee, coffee, coffee and coffee. Yes that’s four coffees, and you can’t beat Italian coffee. Plus I treated myself to a brioche with each one (I know how to live on the edge). 10am: I am standing outside the Duomo di Milano; fabulous by day and fabulously floodlit by night. It’s huge, Gothic, intricate and imposing. The scale makes it hard to photograph so I focus on architectural detail such as this incredible door (left), every panel telling a story.

10.30am: I’m inside the Duomo, stunned by the stained glass windows and gory statue of St Bartholomew (below right) who was flayed alive. 11.30am: tourist map in hand, I make my way northwards towards Pinacoteca di Brera via some alluring shops. This is fatal, especially the shoe shops. Clothes and shoes are expensive but beautifully tailored and very stylish, oozing quality and worth every Euro.

Delighted and surprised I’ve managed to resist my credit card, I reward myself with lunch before going into the museum. This is what I love about the Continent: sitting outside in the spring sunshine eating home made food. Penne Arabiatta and a large Chianti later, I’m braced for some serious art. 1.30pm: to celebrate its bicentenary, di Brera is hosting a tribute to Caravaggio which includes both the National Gallery, London, and di Brera versions of Supper at Emmaus. Spectacular; a rare opportunity to see these two works side by side. Painted some four or so years apart (London version earlier), they are remarkably different, most notably for the evident maturity in Caravaggio’s work over this short time period towards the end of his life.

Statue of St Bartholomew

3pm: time for another coffee and a quick read of an English newspaper I bought earlier at a street stall by the Duomo. Milan has an interesting vibe; it’s relaxed but with definite energy. I can imagine living and working here although I’m told it’s a ghost town at weekends as the locals head to the lakes or their second homes in Rome (I could do second home in Rome, no problem). 5pm: time to grab a taxi to the airport or I’ll miss my flight. It’s back to earth with a jolt as the taxi driver, who says he doesn’t speak much English, manages a rant about British and American banks being responsible for the global economic crisis. 5.45pm: Milan Linate airport. Just time for another quick macchiato…

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It's easier than a paper survey

The Friends of Dulwich Picture Gallery is a registered charity entirely run by volunteers.  All monies raised by subscriptions and events organised by the Friends are donated to the Gallery.

Please help the Friends by taking our online survey. It is anonymous and should take less than two minutes to complete. Click the link below and go! Thank you.

Click here to take the survey.

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Here are three such examples from Dulwich Picture Gallery:

The Chaff Cutter, David Teniers the Younger (copyright: Dulwich Picture Gallery)

David Teniers the Younger’s The Chaff Cutter, 1610-1630 (right), portrays 17th century peasant life.  The man is cutting straw into fine pieces (known as chaff, which is commonly used as fodder for livestock) most likely for the white horse in the picture.  A saddle bag on the ground indicates that this is a working horse, and that the man may have just returned from a journey on horseback.  The horse is already grazing on some hay.  We see chicken, a key source of sustenance for the peasants, wandering around in the foreground.  Birds nesting in the dovecote may have been kept for their flesh and eggs.  Teniers was known for his paintings of peasant scenes and this is an example of an illustration of rural life, highlighting the strong interdependence between man and beast.

Les Plaisirs du Bal, Watteau (copyright: Dulwich Picture Gallery)

You could easily miss the dogs in this idyllic dance scene (left), Watteau’s Les Plaisirs du Bal, 1715-17.  Imagine the little dog in the foreground was not there….the painting would lose something of its balance and compulsion.  This cute grey creature helps draw the viewer’s eye to the spectacle of the dance.  A small spaniel at heel to a lady drinking wine conveys her social standing. Spaniels appear in many paintings of this era, usually with their upper class owners.  A hound to the rear of the scene appears purposefully rendered in a similar palette to the stone balustrade.  This effect, coupled with the dog’s watchful demeanour as though he is on guard, suggest he may be connected with the grounds or estate in which the dance is being held.  Overall, these canines add a hint of playfulness and informality to du Bal!

In Canaletto’s Old Walton Bridge, 1754 (below), swans give a sense of majesty about the river, and birds overhead draw attention to the gathering storm clouds.  They help set the scene.  To the left, the bull, free to roam the riverside, reminds us that this was a farming area.  Indeed, Walton is thought to mean “farm of the Britons.”  Horses draw a fine carriage hurriedly over the bridge, originally a wooden structure, completed just a few years before Canaletto painted it.  Three well-dressed gentlemen and a spaniel stand to the right.  The men are Thomas Hollis, who commissioned the painting, one of his friends, and a servant.  The spaniel is Hollis’s dog.  As in the Watteau painting, the spaniel conveys the social standing of its owner and in this case we know that Hollis was well-to-do.  Canaletto’s clever use of animals and birds bring this painting to life and help communicate aspects of 18th century life and society.

Old Walton Bridge, Canaletto (copyright: Dulwich Picture Gallery)

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Christmas card design by Quentin Blake

Looking for inspiration for Christmas gifts? Avoid the crowds this year and discover one-stop-shopping at the Dulwich Picture Gallery.  Come and browse the wide selection of art-related and design-led items to cover your whole prezzie list from stocking fillers to that something special!  Greetings cards, 2009 calendars, diaries, handmade jewellery from Carrie Elspeth, a fabulous range of children’s books, toys, games to name but a few.

Try the Christmas Shopping Evening with Quentin Blake as part of the Late Night on Thursday 20 November!  The Gallery shop will be open from 6.30pm to 10pm and there’s 10% discount on everything.

Quentin will be signing books and his exclusive Christmas card (£3.99 for pack of 5).  Other Quentin goodies include advent calendars, postcards, giftwrap and the popular Build Your Own Chocolate Factory (£5.99)!

Christmas card design by Emma Chichester Clark

As well as Quentin’s special Christmas card design for the Gallery, two contributors to the What Are You Like? exhibition have designed cards: see Emma Chichester Clark’s cute angel and Christmas tree.

Christmas card design by Jeff Fisher

And Jeff Fisher’s Merry Xmas. Or there’s Gallery in Snow, courtesy of a wonderful photo by Fulvio Rubesa, a member of the Gallery staff.  These are just a few of the options from a wide range of cards.  A catalogue (£29.95) for the forthcoming Saul Steinberg Illuminations exhibition (starts 26 November) would make a great prezzie for a friend or relative planning to visit the show.  There are Pantone Mugs (£7.99), V&A Diaries (£13.99), Magnetic Monarchs (£7.50), silk ties (£14.95) and Dulwich Picture Gallery playing cards (£2.50)!

Christmas card design: photograph by Fulvio Rubesa

And for those who prefer online shopping, the Dulwich Picture Gallery Online Shop is open for business!

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Halfway along the high street is the epitome of ‘olde worlde pubbes,’ The George Inn.  And with the year 1647 inscribed on a beam above the door, it really does put the ‘old’ in ‘olde;’ a reminder that Beckenham has a long history.  As a piece of architecture, this traditional pub can look curiously awkward, stubbornly sitting there amongst the modern shops, and juxtaposed with contemporary wine bars, their wooden floors and high ceilings.  But that’s exactly what’s enticing about The George - the historical X factor, the welcoming porch, the positioning right on the curb, the traditional windows.  There are stories of Henry VIII stopping off in Beckenham on his way to visit Ann Boleyn, and it’s fun to ponder whether he or other notable figures took respite and ale at this Inn.

Back towards Beckenham Green, once the heart of the village before devastation by land mines and flying bombs in the 1940s, we find the parish church of St George.  It dates to the 14th century.  The 13th century lych gate is thought to be one of the oldest in the country.  There’s something rather splendid and comforting about the way the spire keeps watch over this community.  And the church interior is equally splendid and comforting.  On occasions I have attended a service, there’s been a full congregation.  One of the reasons I like St George is that it’s about so much more than the building.  As well as the worship calendar, it plays host to a range of events such concerts and arts and crafts exhibitions (more recently a wonderful exhibition by the Bromley Arts Society).

Now let’s go to the other end of the high street….to the roundabout with the War Memorial unveiled in 1921 to commemorate the men and women of Beckenham who lost their lives in two world wars.  A decade later, an Art Deco cinema ‘arrived’ on the Rectory Road/High Street corner.  ‘Fanatical about film,’ it says above the doors.  Well I’m fanatical about the building!  Crisp clean lines, classic period windows and most of all the shear force of statement that this building makes.  Beckenham may be understated but this Art Deco cinema is not.

What’s your favourite building where you live, and why?  Do leave a comment below…

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Founded in 1944, the Dulwich Choral Society is buzzing friendly choir with 80 members, that puts on three major concerts a year. They perform to a high standard, often with members of major London orchestras and top soloists!

Whilst most performances are held in churches in the Dulwich area, the choir has also appeared in St James’s, Piccadilly, Southwark Cathedral and Fairfield Halls, Croydon. Further afield, they have exported their fabulous singing on overseas trips to Paris, Prague, Venice, Leipzig and Estonia!

DCC started as a local authority evening class which rehearsed in Dulwich Hamlet School, and became independent in the 1970s.

Distinguished young conductor, Aiden Oliver, 31, is the present director of music. Aiden is also director of music at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, the Parliamentary Church next to Westminster Abbey, and founding chorus master of Philharmonia Voices, a professional chorus which works with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, The Pilgrim’s Progress (a dramatic sequence of words and music devised by Aiden Oliver) and The Song of Moses by Thomas Linley the Younger (whose portrait hangs in Dulwich Picture Gallery), are but a sample of past concerts from their varied repertoire.

So what’s coming soon? Sounds a long way off but time flies and so here are two dates to pencil in your diaries if you would like to attend a concert:

• Carmina Burana by Carl Orff and The Passing of of the Year, a virtuoso show piece by British composer, Jonathan Dove. St John’s Church, Auckand Road, Upper Norwood on Saturday 6 December 2008 at 7.30pm.
• Christmas music – a programme from across the ages! St Stephen’s Church, College Road, Dulwich. Monday 22 December 2008 at 6.30pm. Collection in aid of St Christopher’s Hospice.

Do you have a hidden talent for singing? Want to join the choir? The Society always welcome new members. If you are interested, please contact the Membership Secretary, Jo Merry, on 020 7737 3169 or email membership@dulwichchoralsociety.org.uk

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The Exhibition is open to the public so feel free to go along, enjoy the art and meet the artists in an informal atmosphere, with live music and other events. There’ll be something to suit all taste amongst a range of contemporary oil painting, photography, sculpture and drawings spread over a three-floor installation.

During the Exhibition, a live public debate will be hosted in the Bussey Building in conjunction with Radio Peckham (recently rebranded as South City Radio) to open a dialogue on ‘How Do We Build the Culture Capital of London?’

The Exhibition concludes with a Closing Night open to all, featuring live music.

For more information, dates and times, please visit www.chronicartfoundation.org

Photo of Peckham Library from .Martin’s flickr stream on flickr.com, with CCL.

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Squirrels, butterflies, Canada Geese, moorhens, Mallards – just some of the bird and animal life that can be found in Kelsey Park. One minute walk from the buzz of Beckenham High Street, this tranquil haven of great natural beauty is open all day and has something for everyone.

Following the footpath enveloped by trees and flora, you can saunter around the whole park in about thirty minutes, circumnavigating the lake, which flows from the River Beck. A unique selling point is the size of the park – there’s just enough space to provide temporary escapism, but it’s not so vast that it’s impersonal.

It’s a perfect place to quietly watch the world go by. There are plenty of benches; you can find yourself a secluded spot of grass on which to sit and read the paper, have a picnic or a nap. Or you can savour the Alderman Parkin Rose Garden.

Information on the species of birds and wildlife found in the park can be found on notice boards. An information centre opened weekends and afternoons provides literature on walks, talks and events – all part of a programme of activities in the London Borough of Bromley aimed at encouraging enjoyment of the local countryside.

As well as the lake, there’s a play area for children, a café and often an ice cream van! Mini golf and tennis courts are also available.

Formed in 1997, the Friends of Kelsey Park is a group whose mission is to secure conservation, protection and improvement for the park.

If you haven’t visited Kelsey Park, then do! It’s a little piece of heaven on the doorstep.

Photo: Thanks to aliceson on Flickr (CCL)

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Next time you are wandering around the Dulwich Picture Gallery, take a moment to visit the Friends desk in the French 17th century room. You can’t miss it – it’s adorned with leaflets and promotional literature. Here you can find out about forthcoming events and how to sign up to become a Friend.

Volunteers staff the desk, assisting visitors with enquiries, selling tickets to events, and taking membership registrations. I am one of those volunteers, and look forward to my monthly three-hour slot on a Sunday.

On quiet days, I sometimes read a book, but when there’s a rush, I’m kept on my toes! The last day of an exhibition always draws a crowd. Enquiries vary a great deal: popular questions include ‘Are there any tickets left for next Tuesday’s evening lecture?’ (They sell out fast!). ‘I’ve mislaid my Friends membership card – what do I do?’ And one of the most frequent enquiries: ‘Where are the loos?!’

Then there are the more unusual ones: ‘Can I borrow a chair to sit on to sketch a painting?’ ‘Which paintings are up for adoption under the Adopt an Old Master Scheme?’

Beautiful, enchanting, magnifiscent: a few of the words that visitors have used to describe the Gallery in the Visitors Book, which is on the Friends desk for anyone to sign.

The busier the desk; the more fun it is, especially when people stop for a chat and share anecdotes: they remember the Gallery twenty years ago, they came here as a child, they are studying art history, or they are trying their hand at painting.

And the lulls give me an opportunity to savour the amazing paintings around me. Immediate right, Philippe de Champaigne’s Moses and the Ten Commandments; straight ahead, Claude’s Landscape with a Rustic Dance. To the left, a glimpse of a typical Canaletto Venetian scene in an adjecant room. To the right, Lawrence’s portrait of William Linley.

So next time you are in the Gallery, do visit the desk and say hello! We’re always happy to help!

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As part of Dulwich Festival, Dulwich Folk Dancing Club is hosting an Open Evening on Thursday 15 May. Anyone who would like to give folk dancing a whirl is invited!

Established for twenty years, this group meets on Thursdays (during ‘term’ time) at 8pm in St Barnabas Parish Hall to enjoy and promote the long-standing tradition of English folk dancing. It’s a fun way to spend an evening. Club Chairman, Mike Loach, and the other Club members are most hospitable, as I discovered when I went along for the first time last week.

I somehow missed out on folk dancing at school but despite my lack of experience, I was on the dance floor learning the steps before I could say John Travolta! It’s friendly, it’s social and it’s exercise.

Beginners are most welcome. Dances are announced by the ‘caller,’ who oversees a quick trial run of the steps before the music starts. There’s no need to pre-book and you do not need to take a partner. Just turn up, join in and enjoy! Tickets are £2.50 per session payable on the door. Give it a try and keep this great tradition alive!

Photo: Thanks to alber on Flickr (CCL)

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Emerging Artist Showcase by Sally-Ann Johnson
No.1: Alice White www.alicewhiteart.com

Alice works mainly in oils and creates colourful, energetic paintings of people. Her work portrays a fresher, more insightful focus on the human form and figure which aim to go beyond the currently established notions of contemporary portraiture. Seeking to capture the mood and character of each individual model, Alice selects sitters who epitomise – through their body language or features – recognisable characters from modern-day society. These range from the moody musician to cantankerous old gentlemen!

‘I’m the painter paparazzi!’ says Alice.

‘My aim is to map the culture of today, to play upon its symbolism and iconography. In the future my pieces will act as a snapshot of our times.’

Alice does exactly this through her new series of monoprints entitled All About Love. This ‘monochrome set’ is a modern study of human expression – in close-up. The works focus on the face, captured in linear form, with no background to detract from the sensitivity and simplicity of the emotion being portrayed. The impact of these pieces lies in the brevity of execution: less is more.

Alice’s talent is the ability to capture the spirit of the moment whilst enticing the viewer to explore the underlying narrative – that of the human condition.

Viewed collectively, All About Love takes us on a journey from the nascent charm of the title piece, depicted through a skeletal child-like figure in an overcoat, to Derelict Lover, which shows the cragged expression of a life-worn man, his innocence long gone, on a continual search for a place to hang his hat. The emotions communicated in this work ranges from dramatic, romantic entreaties to calm, almost hopeless statements of defunct relationships.

With presence and emotion, Alice’s work resonates with a mirror quality, enticing, almost obliging the viewer to extract from it reflection on his or her own life.

Alice does not restrict herself to depicting the human form but has also painted animals – portrayed not merely for their ‘cute’ factor or sensory appeal but rendered to take on a personality and individual characteristics which lends them the same level of insight as her portraiture work.

Born in London, Alice trained at Central Saint Martins College of Art, where she now teaches, and graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2005. She practices as a painter from a studio in Peckham, located on the top floor of the Bussey Building (a large industrial estate behind Rye Lane).

Since arriving at her studio, she has not only exhibited her own work in across London, but has also been responsible for organising, curating and publicising other shows within the warehouse. This involves showcasing talented artists from the studio complex itself, as well as gathering emerging talent from nearby Camberwell and Goldsmiths art colleges. She was also recently interviewed on Radio Peckham both as a voice for local artists concerning demolition of the Bussey studio building and to talk about her own work and ongoing art events in the area.

Alice has also had solo shows in Carnaby St, (White’s Sugar, December 2006), and Old Street (Return to Form, May/June 2007), and has just concluded 2007 with a three-person show in Southwark, at which she presented her series of monoprints for the first time.

Last year, I attended a course at Central Saint Martins co-hosted by Alice. She has infectious energy and humour. She is truly passionate about what she does, and sharing her knowledge and skills to encourage others to build confidence and individuality in their own talent.

Alice’s paintings are available to buy as originals through her website, which provides links to sites offering limited edition prints and custom prints of her works, as well as selected original artworks. For more information visit www.alicewhiteart.com

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1. Alice Neel – 20th Century American Painter
2. West Norwood Painter Paints Wall
3. Chronic Art Foundation: art exhibition and live public debate in Peckham, 14-20 July

Sally-Ann Johnson explains her love for Dulwich Picture Gallery’s St.Sebastian by Guido Reni.

Guido Reni’s rendition of Christian saint and martyr, St Sebastian, is, for me, the most entrancing painting in the Gallery. It’s an emotionally demanding work that contrasts both the strength and vulnerability of youth in the face of impending death. St Sebastian’s statuesque and classically-rendered torso is exposed save for a small drape, and his expression a powerful and tense interweave of fear, defiance and acquiescence. Reni further heightens the drama with a compelling combination of the pallid body against a foreboding black background. No matter how many times I see this painting, it’s always spellbinding.

Upcoming exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery: 6 St Sebastians by Guido Reni.

Related posts:

1. BBC Culture Show visits St Sebastian at DPG
2. Selling St. Sebastian
3. Reflections as St. Sebastian Comes Down