![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsc-buMWWE7a8_S66QYhAZAd_BVanSqCVFxxdR9FyNrQhb5ea3qccF20nJQE0W6BMMR7qdywUvCKsfbC6U74Oimni5dt8_JsBTO7Wb__-45qYMfymIa-FO3xekLUUh3ZHoT1kG21i0Fe0T/s200/natalie+keegan+art+at+crystal+palace.jpg)
You can wander around and look at everything without feeling any pressure to buy something - although there are things on sale that even skint people like me could afford. I spent the afternoon there yesterday and had an absolutely wonderful time.
I started at The Paxton Centre, which is a cafe and art hub on the edge of Crystal Palace Park, where several artists are displaying. As well as enjoying some delicious falafel and a latte, I chatted to two women whose work was lovely, but very different. Caron Clarke paints delightful watercolours of urban scenes in bright colours. I was particularly taken with a picture of crows and another of a street bright with cherry blossom.
Then I went upstairs and chatted with artist Dawn Codex, whose work is a fascinating contrast. Rather than bright colours and recognisable scenes, her mixed media canvasses are mostly stark monochrome and abstract. The description that Dawn offers is: "A dystopian-utopian commentary on ideas of a lost feminine, drawing on the rituals of ancient womanhood and exploring ideas of a futuristic feminine identity." Her work really resonated with me and I could have happily studied her art for a long while, except there were many more places to visit.
Another artist offering a spiritual perspective was in a studio just off the Crystal Palace Triangle of main roads. Natalie Keegan produces visionary art inspired by her craniosacral work. She is a therapist as well as a painter and she says that her pictures are "visions of health". You can see Natalie by one of her pictures in the photo top right.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_q5k-apjWceTWHYL5gPvq4KwrjwICIlWjl0hIcj_umD7GZ-PWyYk859AxIHTnYHpjV7L9LdW7Rl51yzm2GFpdDmD7X7vHZ_41CdhVjXc9i2j3eZtzgTD5qGSwhlUu-KfTuzWFPR1pWwAq/s200/ben+willis+woodwork+small.jpg)
As well as being incredibly impressed by the quality and variety of all the work I saw, I was enchanted by the beautiful studio spaces I went into - as well as the views from up on the hill.
I have lived on the edge of Crystal Palace for most of my life, but the Artists' Open House event allowed me to go inside buildings I had never visited before and see my local area from an entirely new perspective. The photo at the bottom shows a group of buildings that contain a warren of art studios, tucked away down a side road. The picture above and to the left shows the inside of one studio. I discovered that there are many other such fascinating corners to explore up on the hill.
The art trail continues today, 1 March, and continues until 8 March. The various locations you can visit are open until 6pm. You can find out more at www.crystalpalaceart.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment