One of the things I love while exploring somewhere is coming across street art. It brightens up window shutters, walls, garage doors and run down buildings. I’d say it’s a welcome addition to any city!
Searching for street art (and finding it) makes me happy and it’s something different to do!
For more street art, check out these posts. Love and peace 🙂
I love art in all its forms. It means many things to many people – you may love it too or you may hate it – but, if you don’t mind, let’s delve into my mind and see what art is to me.
Whether it’s a painting or a drawing, photography or sculpture or a multi-sensory experience like Van Gogh Alive, I have an appreciation of the artist’s talent. I can look and imagine how their ideas have morphed onto the canvas. There are so many artists and a few of my favourites are Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali and Oleg Shuplyak – each one different, but their creations are all equally fabulous. I can really appreciate their creative foresight, being able to see in their mind’s eye what the finished article will look like.
Art is learning. I choose what to go and see, not always because I know who the artist is, sometimes I don’t, but it’s the subject matter I am mostly interested in – city views, art movements like Baroque, Impressionism or Surrealism, illusion art and many more. I can learn more about these topics as I read the exhibit titles. I am then drawn to the artists themselves and can learn about their lives in books or the internet.
There is usually a story to tell in art. Some art is more than a little distressing (Beyond the Air We Breathe). Some are obvious in their message, some are not, and it takes a while before you realise what the artists are trying to convey. Art is a powerful way to get the message across!
Art creates excitement. Not knowing what I’ll find until I see it with my own eyes. Then, looking at the photos or paintings, taking in all the details – the brush strokes, the colours, the textures, the painting as a whole – I feel joy and realise I am smiling!
There are many things that inspire people and art is one of those things. It might inspire you to use the same colours in a different way or think of a new way to use the same subject. Art simply inspires me to be more creative in my life. Inspiration feels like a burst of energy and I feel motivated to put my ideas into action.
When I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders, I pick up my paint brush and paint! Concentrating on what I am doing and getting into the flow state makes me forget why I am stressed and helps me keep my mental wellbeing in check.
What does art mean to you?
Soi Nana was one of my favourite places to go when I lived in Bangkok.
It’s a small street lined with old shophouses, some of which have been converted into funky little bars, restaurants and even art galleries.
There are lots of little alleyways behind the main street to explore and Soi Nana is also host to its very own Chinatown Fair – music blaring and lots of people make for a lively atmosphere.
One day, Chris and I headed over to Soi Nana to set up my exhibition – On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage – at Bar 23.
Being a trendy kind of area, there is always some form of art to see, so once we had finished setting up, we went in search of it.
Art really does look after your mental health. It’s relaxing if you create something yourself or if you go in search of it like we did, it’s fun and gets you out of the house for a bit!
Here is the UK we are going through our third lockdown and we just don’t know when we will get our lives back. It’s hard to know what to do to keep our mental wellbeing in check.
For me, art is a way to relax my mind and unwind from the stress of my day.
I think of art as drawing, painting, sculpture or photography and I love to create my own art, but I also like to see the creations of other artists. It inspires me, it gives me ideas and it makes me happy.
Last year I started painting by numbers and it is so addictive! I can’t stop! As soon as I finish one, I start another. I have completed 5 paintings so far. I find myself totally in the flow where I think of nothing except what I am doing. If you want to relax and take a break from your routine, I thoroughly recommend it!
My first painting.. Amsterdam..
A rainy night street scene and Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers..
Dolphins surfing..
My favourite (so far).. Blue Eyes..
Not only will you create something beautiful, but it will also boost your mental wellbeing.
To give you a little inspiration, here is a round-up of art from talkingthailand.
Take care of yourselves! Peace and love X
A couple of months before I left Bangkok for good, I was still enjoying exploring the city.
One day, I went in search of street art which was part of the Pipit Banglamphu Street Art Festival. It was a lot of fun wandering around the streets following the map.
Banglamphu is home to Bangkok’s infamous Khao San Road, chock-a-block with tourists coming and going, bars and clubs blaring out loud music and the general hustle and bustle, typical of a city like Bangkok. But, Banglamphu is also home to a myriad of leafy alleys and canals, so peaceful and, seemingly, hidden from tourists, but filled with friendly locals going about their day. That’s where I found myself as I went looking for the street art!
Some of the locals said hello and asked me where I was from, but all of them were curious about why I was there – made apparent by their stares. I tried to follow the map as best I could, but I went the wrong way in places, by-passing the same people more than once, which only added to their curiosity.
It was a really pleasant day out, so join me as I retrace my steps following the art..
I hope you enjoyed the street art as much as I did!
I’ll leave you with a little piece of Bangkok 🙂
Following my first photo exhibition – On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage – at Dialogue Coffee and Gallery back in 2017, I was lucky enough to find a new venue to do it all again!
Chris and I already knew of a little bar on Soi Nana called 23 Bar and Gallery. We used to go there for drinks. One day, I rustled up the courage to ask the owner – Mongkol – if it was possible to exhibit my photos in the art gallery upstairs. He said, YES!
23 bar and gallery is an old shop house with 2 floors, similar to Dialogue, but on a smaller scale. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to show the same 11 photos that I’d exhibited at Dialogue. But, that didn’t worry me, I was just happy that I got a chance to show my work a second time.
It was due to start on 9th February 2018, so a week beforehand, Chris and I schlepped across the city with the chosen photos to set up!
We were greeted by a cheerful Mongkol who handed us some nails, a hammer, and asked if we wanted a beer! It was thirsty work in the hot gallery upstairs!
It took us all of an hour, even less, to get everything set up. Maybe because we were experts at it after my first exhibition, probably because there were fewer pictures and we didn’t have to use wire to hang the photos!
We went and sat outside on the street with another beer. Mongkol seemed happy that I had chosen his bar to hold my exhibition, so he offered to pay for the beers. He even bought a pizza for us, which we ordered from El Chiringuito – a little Tapas bar down the road. We tried to pay him, but he wasn’t having any of it.
It turned out to be such a fun day.
We arrived for the opening night. My friends from work came along too as well as a few more people who popped in for a drink and wandered upstairs to take a look.
I didn’t sell anything this time, but it was still a proud moment for me.
Afterwards, we continued the party in Silom before heading home.
I have plans to do another exhibition somewhere in my home town and I’ll be researching potential venues when I can – watch this space!
The photos used for both exhibitions were a selection from my book – On The Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage.
You can also check out this video if you would like to see all the photos from my book.
I also created this short video of the photos used in my exhibitions.
I hope you enjoyed sharing this very special memory with me! 🙂
As you may have gathered, I am quite the culture vulture and when I lived in Bangkok, I used to go in search of it. My favourite place to go was the Bangkok Art & Cultural Centre or BACC.
I used to love the art and photographic exhibitions that were held there and just before I left Bangkok, in 2018, I took one last trip there.
On this particular day, I’d gone to see an art exhibition by Oleg Shuplyak called Imaginarium – check out his amazing paintings in the following posts..
Whatever exhibition was on, I loved wandering around the BACC looking at all the photos and paintings, but I also loved people watching. Lots of people, like me, went there to enjoy all the different types of creations.
There are 9 floors in the BACC, each with something different to see. It could be the main exhibit or other art and photography offerings on display.
There are also resident artists who have a space to work on pottery or painting.
And then there was me, watching, learning and absorbing everything around me.
I have written about my previous visits to the BACC and when I return to Bangkok on holiday, this will be one of the first places I visit.
Here are a few photos I have taken at the BACC in the past.
There are many more art galleries in Bangkok and I have loved them all!
I hope you enjoyed my artful reminiscing!
Following on from last week’s post, I have created this video of images from my book – On The Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage
I have wanted to do this project for a long time and now in quarantine I have found the time to do it.
I hope you enjoy it!
When you think of Blackpool, it might conjure up images of a busy seaside resort with plenty of people enjoying their time there. Whether that’s at the Pleasure Beach or having fun in the amusement arcades – it’s a busy place.
But, on a chilly May day last year, I found a more serene town with a whole heap of photographic subjects.
There were gulls in the sea water pools chilling..
Or flying down to take a seat..
Or pondering its next move..
There were people walking, going about their day..
There were empty beaches..
And piers..
Blackpool’s iconic tower..
And, finally, the Comedy Carpet – one of the largest pieces of art in the UK..
I hope you enjoyed these images of a very serene Blackpool town 🙂
On a second trip to Rotterdam in August last year, here is what I got up to with Chris – in photos.
I hope you enjoyed our shenanigans 🙂
