Archive for the ‘Getting away’ Category

Lombard Gallery, Margate

Sunday, August 28th, 2016

August 28 2016

In Two Parts. Lombard Gallery Margate

Yesterday I was in Margate for the opening of In Two Parts the Printmakers Council’s selected exhibition at The Lombard Gallery. I am showing a sugar lift etching: Between One Breath and The Next. The show runs until 11 September.

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Whilst in Margate I made sure I left enough time to visit Turner Contemporary to see the gem of a show Seeing Round Cornersends 25 September.

 

Edinburgh Art Fair

Tuesday, November 10th, 2015

November 10 2015

Edinburgh Art Fair

Today my work was driven from London to Edinburgh along with the work of the 9 other Greenwich Printmakers who I will exhibit with at The Edinburgh Art Fair 2015. I am hanging 8 etchings all related to dance and movement. If you will be in or near Edinburgh between 13 – 15 November and would like a complimentary invite to the show, please let me know through my email (sallymckay@btinternet.com) or through Facebook and I’ll get one to you.

Hip-Hop

Hip-Hop 2015. Sugar lift etching

Edinburgh Art Fair

Friday 13th November 11.00 – 18.00

Saturday 14th November 11.00 – 18.00

Sunday 15th November 11.00 – 17.00

Time out from revision

Wednesday, May 20th, 2015

20 May 2015

Time Out from Revision

A levels and GCSE’s… my younger son and daughter needed a break this evening so we went to Greenwich Park for a run and some boxing

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‘Self’ Exhibition at Turner Contemporary

Monday, February 16th, 2015

February 15th 2015

Turner Contemporary in Margate to see the fabulous ‘Self’ Exhibition, lie underneath Edmund de Waal’s ‘Atmosphere’ and then to the cafe to draw the sun setting over the sea.

View from Turner Contemporary

Greenwich World Cultural Festival 2014

Monday, July 21st, 2014

21 July 2014

Wonderful day yesterday at the Greenwich World Cultural Festival in the gardens of the beautiful English Heritage site, Eltham Palace, leading family Art Workshops with son Max and daughter Gaby. A Greenwich Dance initiative where I am the Resident (Visual) Artist.

Many pop-up performances during the afternoon from Mattress Circus, Moxie Brawl, Dingolay Caribbean Dance, Folded Feather, Emergency Exit Arts; family creative dance workshops, social dancing with Thomas Michael Voss; A Curious Cakewalk; Music from Gypsy Dread Band and Rhythm of the City. Chinese Ribbon Dance Workshops and many more wonderful activities to watch and take part in.

My son Max (blue tee-shirt middle) led Clay Model Making,

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The clay models drying in the sun

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Daughter Gaby taught visitors of all ages how to make an origami Crane, (she insisted was a swan) as part of The International Peace Crane Project 2014

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WCF 4 WCF 5    WCF10 When the origami was complete, we asked the Crane maker to write a message of Peace on their bird. Some we hung in the trees but most went home with their makers

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 I led a drawing activity for all ages

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Montchavin 2013

Monday, December 30th, 2013

30th December 2013

An unexpected lunch in the Autumn sun with my step-sister’s husband… a casual question about the skiing they do as a family… within a few days a skiing trip is being organised! My 3 teenage children and I are to stay in their friend’s apartment in the village of Montchavin in the French Alps for our Christmas break. Plane tickets, train tickets, thermals, ski jackets, salopettes, ski pass, ski lessons, hire of equipment. Oh my, not a holiday to be taken lightly, Ebay was very helpful. 

The last and only time I skied I was 19, the same age as my eldest son, a spur of the moment trip to Switzerland to join a group of friends already there. I had a fantastic time, loved skiing and thought that was the start of a new sport for me, but a couple of years later I met the man who became my husband (now ex) and the father of our children and skiing was absolutely not on his agenda.

I carried my small sketch book in my pocket and drew up the mountains every day. Sometimes Gaby, my 14 year old drew too, beautiful sensitive sketches; Max, the eldest drew in the evenings – abstract images but very influenced by the mountains. Jerome just skied and skied until he dropped.

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Ist day and the 1st of 4 lessons with Cyril our brilliant and talented instructor, very quick to understand our individual characters and abilities, told us he would be “like your Grandaddy, I don’t want to see any of you hurt”

Montchavin 2My kids watching a film on the laptop after a hard day skiing

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Christmas Eve was magical, the professionals skied down the mountain with torch flames, Father Christmas arrived with them in a sledge pulled by huskies with sweets for the watching crowd. Fireworks on the mountain side followed by mulled wine and hot chocolate. 

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Christmas Day, on top of one mountain looking over another

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On the last morning, Jerome and I left the apartment early, him to ski one last time with Cyril who was taking him to the top of the mountain to a red-run and me to draw. 

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After our last day skiing all together, we all agreed we wanted to ski again, Max said “I’ve learnt a new skill and that’s the best Christmas present I could have had” 

Aldeburgh

Sunday, September 8th, 2013

September 8th 2013

The Suffolk coast has always been a favorite hideaway for me and my kids. It began when I inherited my Uncle’s caravan when eldest son (now 19) was a toddler. I found a campsite on the Suffolk coast, allowing us the freedom to spend long summers on the beach and in the countryside. I no longer have the caravan but occasionally still manage to escape the metropolis for a weekend by the sea.

Aldeburgh Beach

Aldeburgh Beach. 2013. 62cm x 140cm. Acrylic, oil and graphite on Fabriano paper

This painting is exhibited at Made in Greenwich until October 20th 2013.

Sardinia

Sunday, August 11th, 2013

11 August 2013

Twelve blissful days in Cala Gonone, on the east coast of Sardinia. It couldn’t have been more perfect, all that was missing was my eldest son holidaying in Australia with his girlfriend – but that’s how it’s supposed to be isn’t it? I was just 15 and my sister 18 when we wrecked the family holidays by winning a travel bursary to go back-packing together in Europe, the next year we won again and then the next my sister was working in Switzerland so I earned enough from part time jobs while in 6th form to travel out to and join her. So although our party seemed small I had expected it to happen. Just me, my 16 year old son and my 14 year old daughter.

Why Sardinia? Easy, we agreed either we would find somewhere to canoe or to scuba and snorkel. I put snorkeling and scuba-diving into google and diving-school Argonauta in Cala Gonone appeared, owner Maurizio provided us with a beautiful apartment overlooking the village and the sea and took us on his boat to snorkel and scuba. Fabulous. I had one rule, when we arrived I said “While we’re here I’m not Mummy, I don’t want to make decisions, I don’t want to do all the cooking and I absolutely don’t want to be clearing up after you” “That’s fine Mum,” said daughter immediately “you can be our sister”. And that’s how it was.

Here is our holiday in pictures. Kids took quite a lot of photos beneath the surface of the water which will come later. Thank you to the wonderful team at Argonauta: Maurizio, Cinzia, Aurora, Bernd, Andy and Dario, truly they never stop smiling.

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The local beach in Cala Gonone, my daughter snorkeling.

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On the boat, spent wonderful days diving off and snorkeling. Son passed his Open Water Padi. 40 degrees – draped towels over us until we got used to it. Love the beautiful world beneath the surface of the water, saw octopus, lots of fish, star fish – large bright purple and little blue ones and jelly fish (not so keen on them)

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Left. Gola Su Gorrupa is a gorge. There were 2 ways to reach it and as my son was map reading he took us to the start of the “most dramatic route”. A 2 hour hike down the mountain, it began though trees with goats wearing tinkling bells round their necks ambling around but soon became increasingly more rugged and barren and saw a snake. Maurizio had told us we’d find a pool when we reached the bottom, after the hike in the heat it was the most wonderful sight, and we spent ages in the cool water.
Right. Cala Fuili. Furthest beach south of the town accessible by car, all others can only be reached by boat. We spent day snorkeling, reading and drawing, we also did some climbing

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This was the view from the boat as we passed by, earlier we had snorkeled though the dark caves by torch light; when the light was pointed towards the ceiling we could see stalagmites.