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Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

We are excited to announce that Doodle Arts will be continuing its art classes for the Summer Term at Jacksons Lane in Highgate every Wednesday 4-5 pm.

All sessions are specifically design to help children develop their artistic skills and knowledge by using a combination of mediums and techniques such as painting, drawing and printmaking. Drawing inspiration from contemporary artists as well as the great masters and the History of Art we will be exploring fundamental notions in fine art like composition, prospective, tone and texture while at the same time encouraging creative thinking and imagination and most importantly having fun!

Starting date: 24th April – 17th July 2019 ( excluding half term week starting 27th May).

Participation fee: £144 for 12 sessions / Family offer: £230 for 2 siblings

Limited spaces. To reserve a space please contact Anastasia Mina on 07510898430 or email doodlecreativeactivities@gmail.com 

All bookings and payments for the Summer Term should be made by Friday 19th April.

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

Sun 28 Apr, 12pm & 3pm

Two brothers, playing around in their messy bedroom, hear Mum approaching. The excitable rascals will have to hustle to get their chores done so they can have some fun…  A generous serving of riotous comedy, chaotic acrobatics, juggling, unicycling, huge flips and many more incredible amazing skills feature in this action-packed attempt to tidy a room. Inspired by slapstick legends Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, the side-splitting duo of Chores will leave audiences on the edge of their seats, giggling until the chores are done.

Duration: 1 hour

Age guidance: 2+

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Still Life – Introductory Art.

This weekly class offers both beginners and developing students the chance to explore their creative potential in drawing, focusing mainly on Still Life. During the term the class will explore essential drawing techniques – observation, perspective, negative spaces, mark-making and composition.

Taught by art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this is a general art course suitable for anyone looking to expand and practice their skill set. An informal, friendly and loosely structured class, Introductory Art allows participants to explore the areas and techniques that they find most useful.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

We are excited to announce that Doodle Arts will be continuing its art classes for the Summer Term at Jacksons Lane in Highgate every Wednesday 4-5 pm.

All sessions are specifically design to help children develop their artistic skills and knowledge by using a combination of mediums and techniques such as painting, drawing and printmaking. Drawing inspiration from contemporary artists as well as the great masters and the History of Art we will be exploring fundamental notions in fine art like composition, prospective, tone and texture while at the same time encouraging creative thinking and imagination and most importantly having fun!

Starting date: 24th April – 17th July 2019 ( excluding half term week starting 27th May).

Participation fee: £144 for 12 sessions / Family offer: £230 for 2 siblings

Limited spaces. To reserve a space please contact Anastasia Mina on 07510898430 or email doodlecreativeactivities@gmail.com 

All bookings and payments for the Summer Term should be made by Friday 19th April.

Where are you from? How did you get here? Do you like spicy food? Sometimes you laugh it off. Sometimes you keep quiet. Sometimes you decide to speak up. Sometimes you shout. The Brownie Club is a show about race, identity and fitting in, exploring the experiences of women of colour as they choose when, where and how to respond to racism. Combining striking aerial circus with physical theatre and spoken word, it takes a joyful, honest and candid look at the assumptions made about people of colour, and asks: What happens when we begin with a different set of questions?

A co-production with Jacksons Lane.

Age guidance: 14+

We are now taking bookings for the Summer Term of our Painting with Watercolours and Acrylics art course.

This class is the perfect opportunity to learn the basics of two wonderful paint mediums; how to mix, blend and layer watercolour and how to apply acrylic. Explore how to make dynamic compositions that produce interesting paintings using still Life, photographs and sketches as inspiration.

On warm days in the Spring and Summer, this class is sometimes taught outside, taking advantage of the stunning scenery of Waterlow Park.

Our art tutor, Sharon Finmark, lives in North London and studied at Central St. Martins School of Art.  She has had several books published on painting and drawing.

The cost for the entire term is £225 (concessions £205).

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

Where are you from? How did you get here? Do you like spicy food? Sometimes you laugh it off. Sometimes you keep quiet. Sometimes you decide to speak up. Sometimes you shout. The Brownie Club is a show about race, identity and fitting in, exploring the experiences of women of colour as they choose when, where and how to respond to racism. Combining striking aerial circus with physical theatre and spoken word, it takes a joyful, honest and candid look at the assumptions made about people of colour, and asks: What happens when we begin with a different set of questions?

A co-production with Jacksons Lane.

Age guidance: 14+

Brigitte Beraha with Barry Green (piano), Chris Laurence (double bass) and Paul Clarvis (drums) 

We know of no other singer who generates such admiration amongst so many of the best instrumentalists. Brigitte Beraha is lauded not just for her singing but for the quality of her own compositions and her interpretations of standard songs. For all lovers of the jazz voice, Beraha’s concerts are a must.

“This remarkable quartet […] gently seductive, it keeps you listening through the sheer power of invention” – Dave Gelly, The Observer

“Brigitte Beraha sounds better than ever” – Norma Winstone

“One of the most adventurous young vocalists around, a musical explorer” – Ian Mann, The Jazz Mann

 Jazz in the House continues with Brigitte Beraha featuring Barry Green, Chris Laurence and Paul Clarvis. Doors open at 8pm and the concert begins at 8.30pm. The bar will be open from late afternoon for drinks and snacks.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

Where are you from? How did you get here? Do you like spicy food? Sometimes you laugh it off. Sometimes you keep quiet. Sometimes you decide to speak up. Sometimes you shout. The Brownie Club is a show about race, identity and fitting in, exploring the experiences of women of colour as they choose when, where and how to respond to racism. Combining striking aerial circus with physical theatre and spoken word, it takes a joyful, honest and candid look at the assumptions made about people of colour, and asks: What happens when we begin with a different set of questions?

A co-production with Jacksons Lane.

Age guidance: 14+

“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

Where are you from? How did you get here? Do you like spicy food? Sometimes you laugh it off. Sometimes you keep quiet. Sometimes you decide to speak up. Sometimes you shout. The Brownie Club is a show about race, identity and fitting in, exploring the experiences of women of colour as they choose when, where and how to respond to racism. Combining striking aerial circus with physical theatre and spoken word, it takes a joyful, honest and candid look at the assumptions made about people of colour, and asks: What happens when we begin with a different set of questions?

A co-production with Jacksons Lane.

Age guidance: 14+

“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

Sun 5 May 12pm & 3pm

As soon as everyone’s left the house, the bath toys spring into action! Heading off on exciting adventures in their magical flying bath, they have splashes ready for any emergency – from giving a muddy piglet a shower to putting out a fire for a frightened baboon. This adaptation, featuring catchy songs, quirky bath toys and everyday heroes, is based on the original book by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts.

Duration: 45m

Age guidance: 2–5

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

Join our us on the first Tuesday of the month for a free lunchtime concert.

A wonderful way to break up the working day, our lunchtime concerts offer 45 minutes of gorgeous classical music performed live in the elegant and historic setting of our Long Gallery.

Each lunchtime concert runs from 1.15pm to 2pm, and is free and open to all. There is no ticket required – simply turn up and take a seat. Doors will open at 1pm.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Still Life – Introductory Art.

This weekly class offers both beginners and developing students the chance to explore their creative potential in drawing, focusing mainly on Still Life. During the term the class will explore essential drawing techniques – observation, perspective, negative spaces, mark-making and composition.

Taught by art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this is a general art course suitable for anyone looking to expand and practice their skill set. An informal, friendly and loosely structured class, Introductory Art allows participants to explore the areas and techniques that they find most useful.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

We are excited to announce that Doodle Arts will be continuing its art classes for the Summer Term at Jacksons Lane in Highgate every Wednesday 4-5 pm.

All sessions are specifically design to help children develop their artistic skills and knowledge by using a combination of mediums and techniques such as painting, drawing and printmaking. Drawing inspiration from contemporary artists as well as the great masters and the History of Art we will be exploring fundamental notions in fine art like composition, prospective, tone and texture while at the same time encouraging creative thinking and imagination and most importantly having fun!

Starting date: 24th April – 17th July 2019 ( excluding half term week starting 27th May).

Participation fee: £144 for 12 sessions / Family offer: £230 for 2 siblings

Limited spaces. To reserve a space please contact Anastasia Mina on 07510898430 or email doodlecreativeactivities@gmail.com 

All bookings and payments for the Summer Term should be made by Friday 19th April.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer Term of our Painting with Watercolours and Acrylics art course.

This class is the perfect opportunity to learn the basics of two wonderful paint mediums; how to mix, blend and layer watercolour and how to apply acrylic. Explore how to make dynamic compositions that produce interesting paintings using still Life, photographs and sketches as inspiration.

On warm days in the Spring and Summer, this class is sometimes taught outside, taking advantage of the stunning scenery of Waterlow Park.

Our art tutor, Sharon Finmark, lives in North London and studied at Central St. Martins School of Art.  She has had several books published on painting and drawing.

The cost for the entire term is £225 (concessions £205).

Weekly drop-in Hatha yoga classes suitable for all levels, beginners welcome. Come and practice some lovely postures in a safe environment that will leave you feeling uplifted and refreshed. I am certified by the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) and classes include a mixture of pranayama, postures and relaxation with focus on correct alignment. The steady flow of postures will improve your strength and flexibility. Mats, blocks and bricks provided or you are welcome to bring your own.

*Email me to book your place and receive your first class FREE*

Andrew Cleyndert with Nadim Teimoori (saxophones), Mark Edwards (piano) and Winston Clifford (drums)

It is hard to overestimate the sheer amount of experience of Andrew Cleyndert. An incredibly youthful spirit, he was Ronnie Scott’s last bass player and has performed at the highest level over three decades.

Cleyndert has performed at Lauderdale House many times, not least with the iconic Stan Tracey and as recently as last December with the wonderful Tony Kofi Cannonball Adderley project. So we welcome his decision to step up and lead a band himself!

Brighton’s Mark Edwards is a phenomenal pianist, who worked regularly with the late – and truly great – Bobby Wellins. Winston Clifford is an outstanding drummer (and Director Katherine Ives’s favourite). When Winston is on the band, the swing is going to be right in the pocket! Which leaves one new face to be savoured; tenor Nadim Teimoori. When our programmer Brian Blain heard him perform three years ago, he was blown away by his talent. He now lives in Doncaster and is coming down specially for this gig.

Jazz in the House continues with Andrew Cleyndert featuring Mark Edwards, Winston Clifford and Nadim Teimoori. Doors open at 8pm and the concert begins at 8.30pm. The bar will be open from late afternoon for drinks and snacks.

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Fridays and Wednesdays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

Join us this May for a stylish and playful reworking of the Cinderella story featuring incredible puppetry.

“Banyan strip away the Disney-glitz to reveal a plucky heronine who is both witty and charming” – The Scotsman

“Brilliantly inventive… enchanting” – The Stage

Step into a magical world where everyday objects become characters. Follow one heroic puppet’s journey towards happiness. Cinderella Ashputtel is an inventive and imaginative adaptation which will delight both young and old.

Cinderella Ashputtel is suitable for children aged 3 to 8. The show will be followed by a free arts and crafts session.

“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

Rucksack music at Jacksons Lane.

Wednesdays and Fridays 10.15-11.15am.

Come and enjoy a relaxed, interactive guided musical session for children & their adults (parents/carers). Expect nursery rhymes, popular songs & movement, with small percussion instruments to play and live guitar accompaniment. Lots of singing, stomping, clapping, wriggling, just having a good time. Learning through enjoyment. Classes are 1 hour with a break. Tutor is jazz musician Faye Patton.

Suitable for children 0 – 4 years old.

NO NEED TO BOOK – JUST DROP IN!  

£5.00 per child/£3.50 siblings

For more information –  www.rucksackmusic.co.uk

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Still Life – Introductory Art.

This weekly class offers both beginners and developing students the chance to explore their creative potential in drawing, focusing mainly on Still Life. During the term the class will explore essential drawing techniques – observation, perspective, negative spaces, mark-making and composition.

Taught by art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this is a general art course suitable for anyone looking to expand and practice their skill set. An informal, friendly and loosely structured class, Introductory Art allows participants to explore the areas and techniques that they find most useful.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

We are excited to announce that Doodle Arts will be continuing its art classes for the Summer Term at Jacksons Lane in Highgate every Wednesday 4-5 pm.

All sessions are specifically design to help children develop their artistic skills and knowledge by using a combination of mediums and techniques such as painting, drawing and printmaking. Drawing inspiration from contemporary artists as well as the great masters and the History of Art we will be exploring fundamental notions in fine art like composition, prospective, tone and texture while at the same time encouraging creative thinking and imagination and most importantly having fun!

Starting date: 24th April – 17th July 2019 ( excluding half term week starting 27th May).

Participation fee: £144 for 12 sessions / Family offer: £230 for 2 siblings

Limited spaces. To reserve a space please contact Anastasia Mina on 07510898430 or email doodlecreativeactivities@gmail.com 

All bookings and payments for the Summer Term should be made by Friday 19th April.