Weekending

Sunday was fun.  Painter sister 'P' was visiting from Chester after going to see an exhibition in London. She stopped over to stay with us and catch others at Modern Art Oxford and the Ashmolean.  


Both exhibitions were impressive with big Jenny Saville paintings on a huge scale. Drawings too. I'm not the biggest fan of her paintings but I did love the sketches some informed by classical artists.  I was in awe of how she manages to work on such enormous canvases.


I couldn't take any photos...but we had tea in the Yard...a consolation.  We had to stop when we noticed tins of  Smoky Russian Caravan Tea on the shelves... You've just got to try tea with a name like that, haven't you?  Mind you, you've got me with anything with the word 'Russian' in it...I blame Dr. Zhivago!  P opted for Spiced Masala Chai both were delicious, as was the tray-bake with a kind of streusel topping...mmm...


I did bump into an artist who I am a fan of though in MAO. An old friend from uni.  He's a really nice guy and a great artist. I haven't seen him for two years so it was really good to catch up, especially as he gave me a little pep talk. Told me it was ok that I hadn't done any art work for a year. He said  it's good to stand back sometimes and think about what you're doing, creativity can't be forced. That made me feel so good.


After the exhibitions we went to one of our favourite shops Toast.  I can't say that I've actually ever bought anything there except some honeycomb candles.  But I do love the shop and the clothes and the home-ware. Although they are mostly outside my budget at the moment. I go into the shop every so often and pick up a catalogue, sneak a few photo's upstairs where all the textiles and ceramics are, then go home a happy bean.  On Sunday it was even better than usual as P wanted to try on a couple of shirts. I could admire the lovely grain sack covered sofa, wonder if I could do the same to mine and where I could source some cheaply all whilst sitting on it and reading the latest copy of Vogue,  all courtesy of Toast...


...I did love these three quarter length herringbone trousers though and they are reduced...yarn or trousers...decisions decisions...


The final stop was to introduce P to our new favourite eating place Turl Street Kitchen we were too late for lunch but imbibed cooling ginger beer and apple and rhubarb juice on a lovely sunny sunday before ambling happily back home for supper before seeing her back to the train station...a perfect day...  ...except for her going home... :o(   


linking over here today...