Friday 6 April 2012

Hockney at the Royal Academy




Last week, John and I took the train down to London for a couple of days. You might have noticed that we've had several brilliant trips out recently. I am rewarding myself for working so hard over the last month and doing 22 days of workshops, talks or school visits out of 31! Pretty full-on: fun but exhausting, especially with all the travelling about. 





We've been especially lucky with how this bit of 'reward' time has coincided with a heat wave. It seemed wicked to spent too much time inside, so we took the boat down the Thames to Greenwich, where we pottered and chilled.


Next morning though, we spurned the sun, leaped on the tube and got down to the real business of the trip: the Hockney exhibition at the RA. I've been so looking forward to it since we booked the tickets back in January.


I was not disappointed. I haven't felt so inspired and uplifted by an exhibition in as long as I can remember (OK, I know with my memory that's not as long as all that, but hey...).


I wandered back and forth between the rooms for a full 3 hours, with a ridiculous ear-to-ear grin on my face throughout. I soaked up every painting, every page of every sketchbook, every last second in the remarkable, film-painting room. 


I have always loved Hockney's work, but this new collection of Yorkshire landscapes seems such a celebration of life in colour and light. Whether it's the oil paintings, the big iPad prints, his watercolours or the beautifully delicate, charcoal studies: everything is bursting with the pure, obsessive joy of creativity.


Later in the afternoon, we did some more chilling out in Regent's Park and I of course had to get the sketchbook out. Paltry attempts beside such a master, but I enjoyed myself. 'So, are you going to be drawing in the Hockney-style from now on?' said John, just before I poked him in the eye...


All good things come to an end and we travelled back to Sheffield that evening on the train. I tried to draw John, but his eyes are too close together, because he wouldn't sit still!


13 comments:

Sarah Anderson said...

sounds like a fabulous exhibition!

Julie Clay Illustration said...

That exhibition looks fabulous, I must admit to NOT being a Hockney fan up until these works, when I saw them at Salts mill (a small part of them) and they are wonderful. You feel a part of them, such colours and light, really mind blowing! I love to hear him talk about it all too!

Lisa Horner said...

Love the picture story : D

dinahmow said...

Sadly,I'll just miss it, not arriving in London til April 22.
Lynne, I've followed your lovely train sketches for ages on Urban Sketchers, but not here. So you don't know me, but...Andrea Joseph thought it would be fun if I came up to Sheffield to join you lovely(and very funny!) people while I'm back in England.
I'm a bit "trepid" but looking forward to meeting you.

Lynne the Pencil said...

That would be lovely D - a pleasure to have you with us! Andrea has probably told you, we have SketchCrawls every month - how long are you around for? If not for long, we are getting together for a drawing event on April 28th: half SketchCrawl, half lifedrawing, half drawing in a pub (hang on: that's 3 halves!!!), but I will be arranging a May SketchCrawl, just not sorted any details yet. x

Unknown said...

What a great trip and fab sketches.

dinahmow said...

Thank you, Lynne. I seem to have May 19 slotted into my plans. (Based on other Crawls being third Saturdays!)If that doesn't suit I might manage 12th. I fly back to Oz May 30. Hope I can join you.

Lynne the Pencil said...

Unfortunately I will be working on both those days: we tend to do our sketchcrawls towards the end of the month. We could get people together to do something on Sunday 20th if that would work..?

dinahmow said...

Sunday May 20th? I think that's OK. I'll check train times and will email Andrea J.
You're a sport to be so accommodating!

Lynne the Pencil said...

A thought: our official May SketchCrawl is going to be on May 26th: one of our group is putting together a day in Chesterfield, a satellite of Sheffield. I don't suppose you can make that? If not, I will set up an additional day in Sheffield itself, and hopefully we will get at least some people joining us for that too.

Lynne the Pencil said...

Meant to say - the additional day would be on 20th, if you can't make the Chesterfield day.

dinahmow said...

Um...I have meeting (well a blog-meet!) in Bristol on May 25 and am staying over so Chesterfield might be a bit of a stretch, especially as I have to wind up some London things before leaving!
But 20th in Sheffield is good to go! Thank you, Lynne.

Lynne the Pencil said...

Hi Dinah - If you're definite for May 20th, I'll email out the rest of the team to see who can join us (cross fingers for dry weather). Can you email me (link on website) so I have your email for firming up details? x