This is my reference sketch of "A Girl in a Red Cloak (Mary Constable)" by John Constable. Its part of the "Constable Portraits: The Painter and His Circle" exhibition on at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) at the moment. The NPG also has another "paying" exhibitions on "Gerhard Richter Portraits". As I'm an Art Fund Patron, I get to see them for half price, so I tend to see two exhibitions at once, and I can always go back again if I fancy. As today was my usual day off work, I decided to see some exhibitions. I had not been to one for ages and the weather is rubbish (no sketching at the Thames Barrier Park today). I was not up particularly early (09:15 - in my defense I went to bed at past 02:00) and by the time I was ready and it was after 11:00. I stopped off at Woolwich to pick up a parcel - books on the history of the Archibald Prize and this years current exhibition (a belated birthday pressie from my aunt) - and then its just a hop, skip and jump into central London (technically DLR to Canning Town and Jubilee to Waterloo, but who's splitting hairs here). I usually get off at Waterloo because I like the walk over the Hungerford Bridge into Charing Cross. In fact, generally once I am OFF public transport, I rarely get back on it until its time to go home. Everything is so close, its easier to walk. Anyway, I digress, a brisk walk over the bridge (bopping away to my iShuffle) and only being momentarily distracted by the latest installation outside the Royal Festival Hall, I promptly arrive at the NPG, somewhat wild-eye, wild-hair'd and out of breath (I don't walk slow). Its about half twelve by now but I'm not hungry for lunch...I have been dying to see Herr Richter's portraits for ages. That was the first one I went to. I had to go around twice as the first time I was just trying to calm down and not scare people with my somewhat feral appearance. But it IS worthwhile going around twice because you see so much. I love the blurred photograph feel to all the portraits. Some are the slightly out of focus style and some are more motion blur style. My favourite is the one of "Gilbert und George" that looks like lots of pictures overlaid. The "Mutter und Tochter" is also another fave. The exhibition talks about some of the subject choices as being banal but to me the way Richter treats their ordinariness actually makes them quite stunning. I guess you can figure out that the exhibition got two enthusiastic thumbs up from me. At the opposite end of the corridor is "Constable Portraits: The Painter and His Circle", and is quite another world. Constable, more famed for his amazing landscapes, acutally produced some wonderful portraits, both in the lively pencil or emotive oil studies, and the more complete portraits. I quite enjoyed meandering the exhibition, and then spending time to concentrate on my most favourite one... one that was just a study. In fact, if I was pushed, I would admit that I preferred the studies over final pieces (and not because the final pieces were not beautiful enough) as they were just so FREE. What can I say... I was rather taken. After I had my fill of Constable, I walked off to Seven Dials for a few errants (Neal's Yard Remedies and The London Graphics Centre) before heading along the backstreets to St Pauls and the Tate Modern. Trying not to make the same mistake as from Waterloo, I had only one button done on my coat but to no avail. After a brisk half an hour's walk (via Lincoln Inn's Field) I was still hot and bothered when I arrived at the Tate shortly before 15:00. So a diet cola and a rest on one of outdoor benches. I try to cool myself down...again. Big mistake. I was distracted by this Asian couple being so touristy that I had to quickly try and sketch them (you can see THAT effort in the gallery)and when they had moved on, I had cooled down but was too tired to go around ANOTHER exhibition. Lucky for me its on for a little while longer so there is still hope for another time. So I just walked back to London Bridge Station and came home. After that long, tiring day, I made myself a yummy squid, chorizo and mushroom risotto and settled down to watch "La Vie En Rose" on DVD. And that pretty much brings me to now. So Patsy (and everyone else), I hope you enjoyed reading about the exhibitions...wish you could see them though. Take care all and keep being creative! And if you want to see a picture of the original "A Girl in a Red Cloak" you can see it via this link, as its actually in a private collection most of the time. http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2009/mar/04/constable-portraits-national-portrait-gallery?picture=344079930 PS, I just re-read this blog and its a bit all over the place, just like me I suppose....sorry!