HENRI MATISSE EXHIBITION AT THE WALKER

A SKETCHING DAY

On Thursday my other half and I visited the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool to see 'The Art Books of Henri Matisse' exhibition, and had a wonderful day.

The view I glimpsed of the exhibition poster through the gallery window seemed a more interesting image than the poster the correct way round.

When we went to leave out coats at the cloakroom we got talking to two lovely young ladies who work for the gallery, Kate and Freya.  I really love tattoos as an art form, and I'm always asking to see people's tattoos and talk about them.  Freya had the loveliest tattoo on her arm that I've ever seen, designed by her boyfriend - the feather gradually turns into a flock of birds.  It's a pity focus goes off in the photo because of the curve of her arm, but it's the only photo of it I've got.

We went straight upstairs to the exhibition, picked up stools, and spent an enjoyable time sketching, with a break for an excellent lunch in the gallery café.  Here are a couple of quick sketches of the Matisse ladies, and sometimes copied the French poems they related to.  I loved these two, and all his other drawings of women's faces for the various art books, because they looked so much like journal page ladies.

The next sketch is of a swan.  As I have scribbled in my sketchbook, some years ago I saw a short film on TV of Matisse walking by a river bank, then stopping to rapidly sketch a swan just like this.

As we were about to leave I looked down from the circular balcony to the café below - a favourite view.

When we went to collect our coats, Kate gave me a cheeky pink origami cat she had made for me in the hope that she would be on cloakroom duty when we were leaving.  The two girls really made my day.

Just one more thing made the day perfect.  As we walked back to the railway station through St John's Gardens, bright with blossom and spring flowers, a bride and her entourage walked towards us, having just left the Register Office in St George's Hall.  She looked so beautiful and natural, with her attendant holding up her dress away from the path, and she let me take this photo for my blog.