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During lockdown I’ve had rather more time in my studio than usual and busy with new paper collage designs for my Papershades. The latest collection celebrates books and writers. I’ve found great pleasure in reading ‘old friends’ during lockdown and decided to immortalise some of my favourite authors on a Papershade. It all began with the Brontes. I created a Papershade of Yorkshire and this was an extension of my love of the county. What astonishing siblings they were and how atmospheric the Parsonage at Haworth is. I read Jane Eyre first and adored it. I wasn’t as enamoured of Wuthering Heights as other people and came late to Anne Bronte’s books but loved The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

So, having created the three talented sisters I thought about the other formative books I’ve read and of course thought of Jane Austen. It’s a comfort to all writers out there that she was in middle age when her first novel, Pride and Prejudice was published and, by then she had a nicely full ‘bottom drawer’ of other novels to polish up to readiness once her success had been established. It’s always a joy to visit Chawton in Hampshire. You get a very strong sense of the environment she lived in and it’s great to see the tiny table where she wrote her novels.

Of course you can’t make a list of British literary giants and not include Shakespeare. Again, I haven’t seen all his plays – there are some of the history plays I’m yet to bag but I ‘collect’ productions of Macbeth and pretty much know the play off by heart. It’s always a treat to go to Stratford to see plays but I’m just as happy with a room above a pub if the production is good.

Next up is Charles Dickens. I confess haven’t read all his novels – meaning there are still some treats in store – but I recently read Pickwick Papers (his first published work) and was dazzled by the witty writing and the stylish promise of all those novels to come. I think my favourites are still Nicholas Nickleby and David Copperfield. And I read Barnaby Rudge a year ago and was fascinated by his descriptions of the old coaching inns which used to line all the main roads of England and were the ultimate meeting places and source of all news and gossip.

Coming a little more up to date we have Lewis Carroll. There can’t be many children who haven’t encountered the Alice books. I still possess very old and battered copies of Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass which were given to me as a child but had belonged to my grandparents so I know I’m not ht only one responsible for the pencil scribbles on the blank bits. I adored those Tenniel illustrations. I do have a very tenuous connection. My great, great uncle married a Miss Liddell, cousin of Alice Liddell who inspired Charles Dodgson to write these astonishing and surreal stories. Yes, it’s very tenuous, I realise!

Last up is Virginia Woolf. I don’t like all her books – I find her writing quite difficult and fragmented but I do appreciate that she really pushed the genre of the novel in the first quarter of the 20th century and is a towering figure in literature. My favourite novel of hers is To The Lighthouse, though it’s very sad. The older I get the more I relate to that sense of ‘going back’ and the notion that by visiting places from your youth you can reconnect with that time. You can’t. We just keep moving forward and all that experience simply mulches down into memory.

Anyway, this collection has kept me happily and creatively distracted during these weird lockdown days of early 2021. I’m sure one day we’ll look back upon with some strange nostalgia.

All the Literary Papershades are on my website: http://www.papershades.co.uk and for sale at £25 including postage and packaging.

Loneliness, fragility, isolation, vulnerability – these are all words which spring to mind when viewing the works in this show by Edvard Munch and Tracey Emin. Where Munch presents naked emotion in colourful daubs of paint, Emin appears to strike at the canvas covering it with wild lines, drips, smudges of single colour and intense scribbles. It’s very interesting seeing the work of these two artists – born 100 years apart – in the same space. It’s unsettling seeing the emotion of Emin’s very frank assessment of loss in her life laid bare. I’ve no idea what was happening to her when she was making these works but the sense of abandonment and unrequited love is very strong.

Munch appears to be more the observer. He feels for his subjects – weeping women, women standing naked in chilly, inhospitable environments and situations. It’s hard to know whether he’s projecting his own emotions into these figures or whether he’s responding to them. But clearly Tracey Emin has responded to his work with a mix of passion, respect and reverence.

I admire her confidence and bombast in displaying so many canvases – mostly painted between 2017 -18 – which capture her innermost feelings. Of course, that is what Emin is famous for; her own life and the experiences and painful episodes, are always laid bare. She never seems to be the observer, she IS the painting, she is the subject.

I’m sorry that she’s been through such a tough time with her health recently. Listening to her talking about her work and her life she sounds far more positive and happier than these paintings suggest. Of course, they come from a different time. Perhaps, when she returns to work we’ll see work which reflects her newly cheerful outlook. I do hope so.

The Loneliness of the Soul is on show at the Royal Academy, London until 28th February 2021.

This enigmatic artist paints portraits which look so directly at the viewer that you stand in the gallery basking in the scrutiny and wondering about the process and time spent creating the image. It’s quite rare to find a contemporary artist who is so committed to figurative work and I find that a delight. But what’s so intriguing about these paintings is that, apparently, they are not made from life (though I may be wrong). Lynette Yiadom-Boakye uses a variety of reference material to conjure impressions of people who occupy her imagination.

Looking closely at the work, many of which are on a large scale, she clearly uses brightly coloured grounds beneath the oil paintings. There’s a great strength and vigour to be seen in paintings which don’t cover the canvas totally with paint but lets the bright light of the original surface leak through into the finished work. That takes confidence.

But oh, what a relief and joy it is to be able to return to the newly opened galleries after November’s lockdown. It’s only when we’re deprived of art that we realise how keenly we crave it.

Fly in League with the Night is on show until 9 May 2021

This new show at Tate Britain provides a good opportunity to get a real view of JMW Turner’s long and adventurous artistic career. You really get a sense of the causes and passions which drove his best work and of the works which probably bored him to make but were created in a bid to gain royal patronage.

Turner the humanitarian is the strong message of this show. You can read his intense fury in the vigour of the brush strokes. For example, I’ve never before seen his painting called The Slave Ship – we have a copy to view rather than the original which is in Boston. You feel his rage at the iniquitous behaviour of slavers who, rather than allow their illicit trade to be intercepted by the Royal Navy, cast their ‘goods’ – captive slaves – into shark- infested water. Shocking to view.

Likewise, there’s huge drama to be felt and seen and felt in a painting entitled Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth making signals in Shallow Water, and going by the Lead. The author was in this Storm on the Night the Ariel left Harwich. Turner says the storm was so ferocious that he feared he would be drowned and was lashed to the ship’s mast. The vigorous brush strokes and hectic swirls of paint capture convincingly the atmosphere and drama of the terrifying ordeal.

The takeaway from this show is a very strong sense of Turner’s outrage at unfairness and ill-treatment in all areas of society and his fury at the way the government of the day was draining funds from the people to pay for the war with France.

We often imagine that he might have mainly earned his living by creating attractive, acceptable landscapes of beautiful countryside or handsome cities (rarely featuring people) but this show demonstrates that he was very interested in the work people do. I did enjoy his painting of the Blacksmith. It’s not just a bucolic record of the man’s work but is entitled: A Country Blacksmith Disputing upon the Price of Iron, and the Price Charged to the Butcher for Shoeing his Pony. There’s a tremendous message to be found within the picture – it’s fury at taxes on trades and duty on essential materials (pig iron) introduced to pay government war debts.

It’s always good to see those favourites such as: Rain, Steam, and Speed – The Great Western Railway and The Fighting Temaraire tugged to her last berth to be broken up, 1838. These two paintings acutely express Turner’s interest in the future and compassion for the passing of old technologies and innovations. All things must change.

The show is on at Tate Britain until 7 March 2021. It’s supported by the Manton Foundation with additional support from the Turner’s Modern World Exhibition Supporters Circle, Tate Americas Foundation, Tate Patrons and Tate Members. http://www.tate.org.uk

Brrr! The images of snowy terrains bring a shiver to the bones at this intriguing exhibition but the chill is tempered by the warmth of the spirit of the arctic peoples and the exhibits of snug fur coats, cosy mittens and warmly waterproof sealskin moccasins.

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The Artic Circle is one of those regions of world which few of us will ever get to visit. We might have a shared folk memory of Eskimo igloos and husky dogs pulling sleds across the snowy Steppes. And yes, those elements are there but what we learn from the show is so much more.

I loved the examples of early artwork, especially by the ‘Dorset People’ who lived over 1000 years ago. Archaeologists believe they died out because of global warming, rising seas and the loss of their lands and livelihoods. But they created beautiful pieces such as the playful carvings showing adults with children on their shoulders.

How resourceful and clever the Arctic Peoples are. For example these contemporary sealskin gloves from Greenland have two thumbs so you can pull them onto either hand without wasting valuable time in the cold.

This basket, below, is made from salmon skin – apparently one would be given as a gift to a newly married young Yupit woman. They are waterproof and generally used for storing clothes. The skills for fishskin use are currently being revived as an art form throughout Alaska.

Above is a charming carved display depicting reindeer hoarders of Siberia. It’s carved from mammoth ivory and shows a woman giving birth in the conical tent surrounded by the family, fur traders, dogs and reindeer.

Hunting is a vital aspect of life in the Arctic. Clever strategies for trapping, spearing, harpooning and capturing animals and fish are illustrated in the displays.Rather than using the word hunting, the arctic peoples refer to it as ‘harvesting’. But I really liked the little ‘claw’ created to scrape on the snow and imitate the sound of a seal sunning itself on the ice. The familiar noise would lull the prey into sleepy view making it easier to catch.

There’s a great to enjoy and marvel over at this show. It’s on at the Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery at the British Museum until 21 February 2021.

This is a small exhibition for such a huge topic. Sin can come in so many forms and can be interpreted in so many ways. Humans are hardwired to spot and disdain human transgression and most of us have a pretty acute sense of what is right and wrong. But being bad is so much more fun than being good! And in terms of art, it makes for better pictures.

So, at this small but very enchanting show at the National Gallery, there’s chance to greet a few ‘old friends’. Without having to tour the whole gallery you may be just a step away from some of the most intriguing and thought-provoking pieces in the collection.

For me it’s always a joy to see Hogarth’s work and here we have the naughty couple at the heart of Marriage a la Mode – both guilty of marital transgression and really not bothered. Hogarth is so brilliant at capturing moments of conversation and drama, not just in the expression of the main players but in the whole set piece. I do like the bust on the mantlepiece which has clearly had his nose broken off and crudely stuck back on.

There’s also a painting by Jan Steen called The Effects of Intemperance. Oh dear, mother is drunk again and the children are running riot. It’s a very amusing narrative painting which provides far more visual fun than an perfectly well-behaved family staring politely out of the frame.

I was intrigued by the small sculpture by Ron Mueck. It’s called Youth and shows a young man examining a bloodied stab wound in his abdomen. Shocking yet strangely calming too. The hyper-realism of the piece is quite mesmerising. Yes, he’s been sinned against – a near death experience – and yet the art is sublime.

A curious but intriguing show. It’s free to see and will be at the National Gallery until 3 January 2021.

I’ve known about Artemisa Gentileschi for many years and have admired the paintings which are in the collection at the National Gallery but I had no idea how prolific and successful she was. She was clearly a prodigious talent which found focus in art at an early age. She must have been a forceful and confident character who was content to use her own image in paintings representing saints or historical characters, as well as for sensitive self-portraits.

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At the age of 17 she was attacked and raped by Agostino Tassi, an artist colleague of her father. She had the astonishing confidence and composure to endure a court case to establish her honour. Her resolve was tested, literally, by torture (cord wrapped tightly around her fingers) to prove the veracity of her accusation. She was adamant: ‘È vero, è’ vero, è vero’ she insisted. It is TRUE.

So it’s no surprise that she was attracted to biblical subjects which involve women exacting revenge on evil and abusive men. The most famous, and grisly, of these paintings are the two versions on show of Judith and Holofernes. His eyes are staring open at us, the viewers, as she calmly wields the sword and cuts off his head sending blood gushing in all directions.

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Artemisia became a popular portrait painter – though few of these paintings survive, apparently- and her cleverly composed narrative painting were popular amongst patrons in her home town of Rome, Naples, Florence and even London (she was invited to England by Charles I).

I was particularly struck by a sensational painting of Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes (about 1623) It’s illuminated by the light of a single candle showing the anxiety on the faces of the women as they complete their murderous task and bundle the victim’s head into a bag before making their escape. Shades of Caravaggio in this one.

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Another abused woman features in her interpretation of Susannah and the Elders. She shows the humiliation of the woman as the leering men gaze upon her naked body.

There is so much to enjoy in this spectacular show and I do recommend it. It was a huge treat to be back at the National Gallery after such a long time and it’s so good for the spirit to be able to see fabulous art like this in a beautifully curated show. It’s on until 24th January 2021.

For my ‘and finally’, here’s a detail from an enchanting painting of Madonna and Child. It’s so natural and full of tender affection.

I picked this group, above, because they illustrate the abundance of colour which fills the galleries. I particularly liked the vertical run of acrylic paintings by the late John Wragg RA (on the left).

It’s a shame I wasn’t allowed to take a closer look at this painting by Njideka Akunyili Crosby called Blend In-Stand Out. It’s on paper and uses acrylic, colour pencil charcoal and transfer. It’s just the thing I look for in a work – great use of paper (obviously) along with mixed media and really collage feel.

This lively portrait caught my eye and made me smile. It’s called breakfast with Violet and Adam and it’s a large oil painting by Joy Labinjo. A very original and engaging style. I liked the direct gaze of Adam, looking out of the picture.

Fional Rae RA presented four Abstract Drawings – gouache and watercolour on paper, which are just lovely to look at, full of movement and joy in the swirl of a brush and colourful mark making.

Above Fiona’s work are two drawings by Alexandra Blum – well, a shameless plug here for Alex who is a magnificent artist and creates drawings of great intensity and detail of places she looks at a lot (from the window of her home). A few years ago I spent a very happy day in Alexandra’s company making drawings, and collages, of Deptford Creek.

This one amused me. It’s a family portrait in watercolour and pencil by Jill Leman. It’s clearly Christmas (check out the paper hats) but each little face has been so sparely yet carefully made in a charming, illustrative style.

Mixed media – clever and eye-catching. This is by Athena Anastasiou entitled Bringing the Past to New Horizons and made with oil, wood and acrylic yarn.

The exhibition is open to the public ( all the social distancing elements are excellently in place) until 3rd January 2021.

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No, I had no idea what to expect with this exhibition. Yes, we’ve all heard about tantric sex, beloved of celebrities, but there is far more to this ancient and beguiling religion that we knew.

The British Museum possesses many fine examples of tantric sculpture and art and it’s great to see these displayed with other pieces from international collections which pull together the meaning and evolution of tantra.

Some of the tantric deities and gods are pretty scary. This is Varahi, a sow-headed goddess who has the power to impose and remove pandemics. We need to stay on the right side of her. Then there are male and female figures entwined to convey the power of human sexual union.

The female form and the goddess were regarded as divine but they sound scary too. In one area we learn how to summon these deities, yoginis – witches who fly around the sky – by attracting their attention through the use of human sacrifice and bodily fluids. If you don’t get the offering right or they take against you it might not end well.

The British in India were bewildered and fascinated by the tantric traditions. Charles Stuart of the East India Company, adopted Hindu practices and collected statues of the deities, which he is said to have worshipped. After his death his collection was shipped to London and were donated to the British Museum.

The last section of the exhibition displays contemporary references to Tantra. It was a surprise to learn that the famous tongue which promoted the Rolling Stones is not just based on Mick Jagger’s tongue, it has its roots in the tantric tradition.

It’s so great to be back in a gallery. All through lockdown, being denied the chance to see real art, close up, felt like a physical pain. However, during lockdown, I found Grayson Perry’s Art Club every Monday evening on Channel 4, was a creative lifeline, a chance to see art being made, being celebrated and seeing other people – celebrities and Real People – showing their work.

What we didn’t know earlier in the year was that Grayson had spent time in America last year visiting different communities and absorbing their views on identity, race, money and class. Entitled The Most Specialest Relationship at Victoria Miro’s Wharf Road Gallery, Grayson has created a series of pots which capture cultural icons, heroes, superstars which Americans have created and revere.

The USA is such a melting pot of history, of immigrant communities and notions of the American dream take many forms. The pots carry images of influences such as Walt Disney, Mark Zuckerberg, film stars and, of course President Trump. He features on a series of plates which resemble early English slipware which might have been produced around the English Civil War. We have Donald Trump on horseback, depicted in the way King Charles 1 would have been. The links between this country’s civil war of the 17th century and the divided society in America are acutely and wittily drawn.

The biggest piece is a vast tapestry depicting Manhatten but layered with images and symbolism and squiggles like a Jackson Pollock.

I was so delighted to have the chance to meet and chat with Grayson towards the end of the press preview at the gallery. I look forward to the Road Trip series which starts next week. And he also mentioned that the Art Club is coming back soon – what joy!