This weekend

I wanted to write yesterday, but these pesky kids are so demanding, I actually had to teach!!
On Friday I hot footed it up to Sloane Square, which once the Saatchi Gallery opens will be a real destination again. I quickly walked down to the Lucien Hervé exhibition on at the Michael Hoppen Gallery. I do not think the Internet can ever hope to replicate the experience of seeing a photograph in the flesh. This is a given with paintings sculpture and mixed media, but many people think seeing a photograph in a book is the same as seeing one in a gallery. It does not, the way many of the silver gelatin prints were printed gives them such depth, you just have to see them, plus I am often surprised at how small the images often are, which gives them a real sense of intimacy.
After this I walked back to Sloane Square to meet my sister and visit Art London.
Of course this took me past GAP, Muji, Kew, Jigsaw, Tabio, John Lewis, Zara..... So many shops so little time and even less funds.
What I needed was a new coat and a new bag for school, what I got and please do not laugh, was (I am officially ashamed) a grey cardie, from Muji, Oh but it was sooo lovely, Deepest charcoal merino wool, shawl collar, long and belted. I have the same one in black cotton and I love it.
I then took a T Shirt back to GAP and exchanged it for a black merino wool wrap dress. I have to confess that this style does not flatter me much, but it feels so lovely and sometimes that is enough for me.
Then in that time honoured tradition of thinking you have found something new I walk past a shop selling creams and potions, all by Korres, so I blagged some sachets of eye cream to test. It is a lovely shop with super friendly staff.
Finally Jigsaw as always had some lovely thin Jersey tops. I have in the past favoured camisoles but as time and gravity take its toll I have grown to appreciate the benefits of loose fitting T's
Jigasaw is King of these both in style fabric and colour. I bought the same style very very thin fabric heavily gathered over the shoulder in a deep navy and a lovely caramel. What I have then been able to do is finally create those lovely layers which has in turn breathed new life into some of my older and shorter (less flattering) jumpers and cardies. this in turn has revived my snugger fitting trousers giving many of my older but no less loved clothes a new lease of life. win win if you ask me.
So what of the coat and bag, well I did look and the only coat that even came close to ticking any boxes was in Jaegar. It was lovely, but how to justify that much? It is the price I pay for keeping the girls dressed I guess.
I did get to try on my favourite Barbour (mmm the smell was divine), it was lovely but not as useful as my existing mac. Bags? not one, seriously not one over the shoulder bag anywhere, In hindsight I should have checked the mens wear section, but am I really the only one who hates bags with small straps that I have to hook over an over stressed shoulder or dangle in the crook of my arm like the Queen?
Art London was OK, some interesting galleries and a few new artists, but over all I have been to better art fairs.
The evening was however a good one, thanks to a delicious confit of duck at Oriel. this restaurant has such excellent service it is a pleasure to eat there and the atmosphere is as near to the authentic french cafe as you will get and probably cheaper now.
Exhausted?
Well Sunday morning we went to hear a lovely chamber quartet at the newly opened Kings Place this promises to be a great venue, but as it is the other side of town we spent more on travel than the tickets themselves so I will probably stick to St Martins in the Field.
To make better use of my travel card I took Leyla to the Rothko on at The Tate Modern. Truly brilliant. The first room alone is worth the price of admission, I had no idea he worked with maquettes for his Seagrams layouts and I also did not know that he would frequently work on such a small scale. They are for me as good as his larger works. I was not as keen on the room housing all the Seagrams paintings. too much like an aircraft hanger I feel his work is better suited despite its scale to a more intimate setting.
And so to bed...