Wednesday, September 2, 2015

I'm in a Museum!


Last night Dave and I went to the opening of an art exhibit at the Leighton House Museum in Holland Park -- and there, on the wall, as we'd been told to expect, was me!

The monthlong exhibit is titled "The Craft of Drawing and Painting" and features artists who have worked and trained at the Lavender Hill Studios, an atelier in London. They include Martin, the art teacher at work who painted the recent portraits of me.

It was such a surreal experience to be looking at portraits of myself in a museum setting. (Both the small and the large portraits were on display, across the room from each other.) I felt sort of disconnected from them, like they weren't really me, but some other guy who just happened to look like me.

But several people in the room approached to ask if I was the model, confirming my sense that Martin captured my likeness really well. (One guy said I looked much happier and "less haunted" in person!)

You can see a blurry Dave at far left in the photo above, and Martin in the purple shirt, fourth from left in the rear.

It was a very cool experience.

Dave and I schlepped out to Holland Park on the tube and had dinner at the Mitre, near where we used to live in Notting Hill. I enjoyed the food but the menu descriptions seem a bit over the top -- albenga artichokes and grelot onions, a "cannon" of lamb (whatever that is). Apparently serving plain ol' onions and artichokes is insufficiently intriguing to diners.

We talked about how it seems so long ago that we lived in that neighborhood, even though it's really been just over a year. We reminisced about walking poor, decrepit Ernie and Ruby through the Notting Hill streets. (That was farther back in time.) We agreed we're much happier in our present circumstances!

11 comments:

alphabet soup said...

Exactly. A very cool experience indeed to see your portrait hanging at an exhibition.

Ms Soup

e said...

Wonderfully attended, too. Congratulations again.

Ms. Moon said...

That's just cooler than cool. I really do love the paintings. Especially the large one.
Sounds like a wonderful evening, too.

Sharon said...

That really is an amazing portrait and seeing it on a museum wall is wonderful. Martin is a very talented artist.

ellen abbott said...

I still really like the portrait regardless of the emotion portrayed.

I refuse to go to Starbucks just because of the descriptions of their coffee. just too pretentious to me.

Elizabeth said...

I think they're remarkable likenesses, and I love the larger one. How terrific to be included in this artist's exhibition!

The Bug said...

This is just so cool!

Marianne said...

What a nice coincidence I will be in London in September for the first time and will make a point of stopping by the exhibit. It must be a special feeling to see your portrait on the wall and how you are interpreted by another artist.

Steve Reed said...

Thanks for the kind words, everyone!

Elizabeth, the paintings of me were actually the only ones by Martin at the exhibit. All the other paintings are by other artists at the atelier.

Marianne, that would be very cool! It's actually a fascinating small museum -- the house of Frederic, Lord Leighton, a Victorian artist who collected works of Arab and Eastern art that are displayed there (along with his own paintings and those of other artists he collected). Let me know if you go!

Nancy said...

That's just pure awesomeness!

37paddington said...

Steve, this is just so cool and exciting! I love both portraits of you! A very fine subject you are!