Lumiere London 2015 – Part 1

Last week my sister and I went along to Lumiere London, an event being held over 4 days showcasing 30 light art installations across Central London. This is the first time such an event was held and as it was free and practically on our doorstep we decided it was too good to miss. Armed with our cameras and special maps pointing out where each artwork was placed, we got going, ready for lots of walking and snapping.

The first area we walked through was Mayfair. Here there were a couple of pieces I liked, my favourite being the phonebox converted into a fishtank – which I thought was so innovative and clever. Unfortunately it was really busy and difficult to get a good picture, but below is my best one to give you an idea.

Next we moved on to Regent Street, where as soon as you approached the area you could see a large, strange, colourfully dreamy object almost floating in the sky

London

It was an interesting piece and the various changing colours and textures kept our attention for as long as we could see it.

Other lightworks around Regent Street that we saw included a stickman show, a lovely trumpeting elephant and a pretty, colourful, luminous dress. I also enjoyed watching the flying ‘fish’ which were set against the backdrop of tall white buildings and the dark night sky.

As we worked our way through the London street we took in the colourful, pretty lights, the buzzing atmosphere and the upbeat music, and although it was a really cold night we were glad to be there.

I still have more photos of the remaining 2 areas; Trafalgar Square and Kings Cross, both of which also held some lovely innovative pieces which I will post soon.

All the fun of a Winter Wonderland

Hyde Park, London hosts Winter Wonderland every year which is a family event running over the festive season. There’s fairground rides for thrill seekers, Christmas markets for anyone looking for beautifully crafted gifts, and tasty food to make sure energy levels are topped up. Seeing as it looked like a fun evening out I went with my sister and her family to experience the sights, smells and tastes on offer.

I went on a ride or two with the kids, was distracted from stall to stall with the interesting and beautiful items on display and was awed by the pretty lights and great atmosphere.

I didn’t manage to experience everything as we ran out of time, but hopefully I’ll be able to return next year to enjoy more rides as well as see the circus show, the cool ice sculptures in the ice kingdom and take a spin on the ice rink. We left with smiles on our faces and our goodies from the markets but were absolutely exhausted, with the kids falling fast asleep all the way home.

Giant fingers

fingers

On my last visit through Trafalger Square in London I came across this curious sculpture. It automatically made me think of Michealangelo’s famous painting Creation of Adam but there was no information about who or what these fingers were meant to represent. I have since looked it up and discovered that this is a piece by Jose Rivelino, a Mexican artist and is meant to represent equality between people. I really like the idea and I think this is an interesting and thought provoking piece of work. What do you think?

finger

Italian gardens in London

Wondering around Hyde park earlier this year I came across the Italian Gardens. The Gardens have embellished statues, urns and large water fountains, all which create a really nice relaxing space.

The main water fountain leading to the top of the Serpentine lake was a combination of a group of boys holding a huge platter with a woman on either side holding an urn, all pouring water into the lake.

On the far side of the garden is a chapel with really pretty flowers planted on either side in neat geometric rows.

I thought the gardens were laid out nicely and kept in really good condition. I found them to be a calming space with the sound of rushing water from the fountains drowning out some of the background noise and pretty flowers soothing to the eyes. I’ll definitely look to visiting it again at some point.

Gift horse

Gift horse

Currently the fourth plinth in Trafalger Square is occupied by a skeletal figure of a gift horse with a ribbon around it’s leg displaying the London Stock Market. It replaces the giant blue chicken that was there previously. As artistic as the horse looks I think I miss the chicken. What do you think?

Hyde Park

I’ve had some free time since having left my job and being determined to make the most of it and the nice weather I decided to go to Hyde Park which I have passed by on many occasions but have never really explored.

Hyde Park is a Royal Gardens and is based in Central London. There are so many parts to it that I wasn’t able to visit everything but I did see lots of lovely things.

I decided to walk down to and along the huge lake called The Serpentine and follow the edge across the park. As its summer there were lots of deckchairs, geese and beautiful flowers to enjoy along the way.

What I liked was there were lots of smaller paths away from the main walkways in case you fancied a varied and perhaps quieter walk. There were also lots of statues to admire, each one quite different to the last. The most famous is the Princess Diana fountain which is a huge circular waterway. Each section is different, some with steps, or curves or even water shooting upwards. The kids really seemed to be enjoying the cool water.

Something that I unexpectedly came across really made my day, Ring-necked Parakeets! They were camouflaged in the trees and I almost missed them but I luckily joined a few people in watching them. The parakeets seemed completely at ease with people and even flew down to get food from out stretched hands. There were also pretty magpies, squirrels and pigeons that were enjoying the attention and food too.

I really enjoyed my walk around Hyde park, and I really appreciate all the hard work that it’s taken to make it look beautiful. The park is huge and there’s lots more to see, so I hope to visit it again at some point. I know how lucky I am to live in such an amazing city with so much culture, art and history and I plan to keep making the most of it. I’ll keep you posted on what else I explore and enjoy.

East London street art

I recently went to dinner with friends in Brick Lane and one of the things I really enjoy in this part of East London, apart from the food, is the amazing street art. For those who don’t know, Brick Lane is known for it’s delicious food and wide range of interesting street art, and whilst I was waiting I took a walk to check out the artwork. It wasn’t long before I had my phone out and began taking photos (and I wasn’t the only one).

I wasn’t walking for long but I managed to take lots of photos. What I loved was seeing just how talented these artists were and the array of different styles and vivid colours that were used to express ideas and notions. You could see in some areas new paint covering the old, showing how art in this part of London is alive and ever changing.

I hope I can go back soon with my camera and spend longer admiring and capturing the artwork and I’m sure that there’ll be lots of new ones to see when I do.

Number 10

Downing street

Its finally Election day here in the UK. It’s been a neck and neck race between the major parties up until now so it’ll be interesting to see who wins and occupies Number 10. I haven’t casted my vote yet but will do once I finish work. May the best man (or party) win

A walk in Manchester

I recently went to Manchester for work and stayed in a stunning hotel and although I had a few super, busy days I did managed to disappear for a while and go for a walk. I came across some old buildings and a courtyard that looked beautiful in the bright, sunny afternoon. I would’ve liked to explore further but sadly, I ran out of time. I hope that next time I’m in the city I will have more time to explore and find the many other places that I’m sure are worth seeing. I’ll also need to remember to take my camera so I can take some better pictures of my discoveries (and maybe of the fancy hotel too)