Art (and stuff)

The Tate Britain has had an exhibit of paintings by the British artist L.S.Lowry on show for a while (unfortunately, a lot of the time was while we were away this summer) and I had hoped to get up to see them. Today was the last day of the exhibit, and while I thought our chances of getting tickets were slim, it was worth a shot - worst case scenario, we could look around the permanent exhibit at the Tate and then either wander London or go home.  So I took the children who wanted to come (which turned out to be Olivia and Alex) and caught a train to town. 

(There's a great row of pollarded trees in the road outside the Tate.)  

As suspected, there were no tickets avaialable until 6pm, and as we didn't want to stay that long (it was 1 ish), we opted for a browse around the regular galleries instead, including some Henry Moore pieces

(the pieces were more than heads, but I just really like the heads on these two); 

and some miscellaneous bits and pieces, including a collection of maquettes (scale models) for a Reg Butler sculpture called The Unknown Political Prisoner (not sure how big the proper sculpture is, but I loved the maquettes, which were quite small - the prisoner in this one was only a few centimetres high).

We did manage to see one Lowry painting, which was in the general collection, rather than the special exhibit, so I was pleased to see that. Just wish the timing had been better for the exhibit (like if it had lasted until the end of October, I could have gone during half term).  The next special on is Paul Klee, though, which is a must see, so I'll have to make sure to hit that one. Perhaps I'll even book in advance for that!

We also had a look around the Turner wing - I like some Turner more than others, though I can admire them all - ultimately, I prefer the more abstract ones, I think.  I liked the cow detail from larger painting

and I loved the just barely visible people in this Riva degli Schiavione, Venice: Water Fete.

There were also a few small paintings on board (I think) of a few figures on a beach, which struck me, but no photo of them. 

Alex enjoyed the Turners as well, though he liked the room of Constable paintings better, apparently.

After we left the gallery, we walked a little along the river and then caught a bus up to Covent Garden to grab some ice cream or coffee, depending on what the weather did...

I always enjoy the views from London buses, and recommend travelling by bus rather than underground wherever you can!

In Covent Garden, after a brief stop in the Doc Marten shop to eye up the sale boots (Olivia tried to talk me into the blue ones, but I resisted nobly)

we headed off to Scoop to get our ice cream. Never mind that it was raining - who would let a little rain stand between themselves and gelato? Especially in London!