John Martin. Plains of Heaven (1851-3).
William Quiller Orchardson. The First Cloud (1887).
Atkinson Grimshaw. Liverpool Quay by Moonlight (1887).
Lucian Freud. Girl with Kitten (1947).
Ian Hamilton Finlay. The World Has Been Empty Since the Romans (1985).
Helen Beatrix Potter. Simpkin at the Tailor's Bedside (1902).
Eric Ravilious. The Greenhouse: Cyclamen and Tomatoes (1985).
Last night during one of my 2am conversations with Sanne, she suggested I take the Sunday off and out of the house. I took her advice to the letter, needing a pick-me-up after one of the weirdest weeks I can remember going through. So by 11:30 I was packed and ready, marching to the tube station. I spent the morning wandering around the Tate Britain, jotting down pieces I was drawn to. One of the great bits about London is all the major museums are free so you don't have to go to a cafe and feel obligated to pay for a latte to have a place to sit and write. I tucked myself away on one of the plush benches in a cavernous hallway and wrote for about an hour. Then while munching on the hummus and cheese pita I packed, I strolled along the Thames from the museum to St. Paul's. Which is a bit of a trek, but it was such a beautiful day in London (despite the fierce cold).
Do you have any favorite free places you like to go to sit and write and gaze and whatever?
8 comments
Your day off sounds wonderful, and I definitely applaud the idea of taking a whole day to do something new. I hope it was as refreshing and relaxing as it sounds.
ReplyDeleteI WISH I knew of some nice free places to go sit and think, especially now that it's too cold to sit outside. Unfortunately, I'm studying in a smaller UK town with no museums, and I usually end up just mooching off the campus café's space without buying a drink! But public libraries are always good, and so are the fancy hotels with the beautiful lobbies where you can sit and pretend to be a guest.
Anyway, thanks for sharing the beautiful art!
Wow, I'm really fascinated by the idea of sitting in the lobby of a hotel and pretending to be a guest. I wonder if I could ever muster up the courage to do it. Thanks!
DeleteI've always wanted to do that at the Plaza in New York. (The hotel that Eloise lives in! You know, from those holiday movies on ABC Family...) I think I'd have to put on a ball-gown first though.
DeleteI'd have to say my beach home in North Carolina. (I guess technically it isn't free since we had to buy the house, but, oh well). During the summer, I spend every morning and every afternoon sitting on the back porch, drinking a cup of coffe/tea with a book or a journal in my hand. The smell of the ocean and the gulls and the crashing waves is so soothing to me. It's a feeling and a comfort I've never felt anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the artwork, thanks for sharing! Your blog posts are always so wonderful to read :)
For me, I love to sit and read/write in a library. I feel really comfortable in the public library in my town. The quietness calms me, and I love the view of all the books. Your posts always brighten up my day Marion :)
ReplyDeleteI live by one of the prettiest parks in Southern Washington called Lake Sacajawea, it's HUGE and SO gorgeous and inspring, there are otters in the lake and themed areas (like a Japanese garden!), and every hour you can hear the lovely Church bells chime.
ReplyDeleteThe only downside is that it rains too much here so I don't get to go as often as I like. OH but in the springtime there are bright pink cherry blossom trees everywhere!
I frequently sit in The Royal Festival hall or Queen Elizabeth Hall on the southbank. It's always warm, has free electricity, free wifi AND you can take your own food. Bliss. I like to sit on the balcony bit and write or draw while people watching and drinking tea. Also, 'The Tailor of Gloucester' is my favourite Beatrix Potter book.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you so much for sharing this! I will definitely test the waters there.
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