Another monument to the talented in Lucca is this great work. Source: Dorset Sculpture

Here is a shot of a well presented ‘portrait sculpture’ of a past resident of Lucca. Puccini, I imagine, would have approved of this, displayed in a delightful square in the ancient fortified town of Lucca in North West Tuscany, Italy. I was passing with a camera (as one does whilst on holiday!) and just […]

I have recently visited three of the most spectacular homes on earth, here is a tiny glimps for you. Smedmore House first: Home with a view of the sea, privately owned still. Then- Greenway, Agatha Christie’s holiday place on the River Dart.  National Trust And now something else!  And here is the clue for this […]

Like The Wallace Collection, the Mauritshuis in the Hague has a very special atmosphere, rather more intimate than cosy, paintings are presented beautifully, not too dark, not too many in one spoonful, well chosen together and we often had the room empty of other visitors. It was lovely to see ‘education in action’ before the […]

Willow man first appeared near the M5 Motorway many years ago (2001) when that bit of Somerset was just a very flat rather windswept field. We used to admire it as we shot past going North or South at ‘around’ 70 mph. Made from willow on a steel frame it was remade after an arson […]

One of the sources of building material for the Thames Embankment came from Lamorna Cove in Cornwall. So next time you come to London and see this sculpture of Queen Boadicea by Thomas Thornecroft next to Big Ben, think of the stones below the embankment you stand on and remember this beautiful little cove in […]

Rodin was in every sentence in our first year of lectures. He was Alan’s hero, he could do no wrong, he made no mistakes. We were told to hold our breath and wonder. The RA had an exhibition back in 2009 where he took world centre stage. Room after room of nakedness, thick ankles, mould […]