Arty Fart Day

A while back in Canterbury I was speaking to an artist (who's name escapes me but I'll find out) about his current work, a Greek mythological scene inspired by Titian. The artist had gone to Greece specifically for the light. Now I have stayed around Marseilles which is famous for its "light" but I didn't understand why! It was just sooo.....bright and I was squinting all the time. I asked the artist to explain and he said something along the lines of "you can't explain what good light is....you have to feel what good light is". "Pish" I thought but I let it go!

Today I visited Manchester Art Gallery for the first time. Wow!!! some of the paintings were amazing.....although I though some of the "hanging" was sloppy and it was impossible to read a number of labels as they were so low down. Gripe over, Alexander von Wagner's Chariot Race was huge and just so exciting, like a scene from the film Ben Hur, one of my all time favourites.

Anyway, back to my original story... in the previous room there was a painting by Wynford Dewhurst called The Picnic. I could see from this painting that the artist understood "light" and I suddenly understood what good light is!! I can't explain but I got what the original artist was talking about!

Anyway, I went outside to rubbish light and drizzley rain to try and copy some of the Valette scenes with my camera. I failed although I've added some of my shots on my blog! Heading back to the station I came across this chap! A West Indian looking chap who spoke like Father Ted....I was confused. He had sad eyes, maybe too much of the booze or maybe the herb but he had a genuine warmth about him. If someone asks me for "any spare change" I generally ignore them but I gave him a few quid. His face lit up, he gave me a massive rotting tooth smile, saying "god bless" in his Father Ted accent.

I asked if I could take his pic, clicked it into auto as the light was shit and he then started hopping about saying "cheese". What a weird but genuinly lovely chap!