Today – Chris Beetles Gallery, London
Chris Beetles Gallery
Shortly before Christmas I took my 8 year old daughter on a little trip to London from our home in Nottingham (her current best pal, Bob the minion, came along too.)
We visited the rather amazing Ripley’s believe it or not, the Pokemon shop and Hamleys. She was in 8 year old heaven. I was exhausted, but filled up with pre-Christmas magic of London town.
On our trip I managed to sneak in a little first visit to a place I have long wanted to see…
Chris Beetles Gallery London
Chris Beetles gallery London is one of the most popular commercial art galleries in the UK . It specialises in traditional British watercolour, illustration, cartoons, oil painting and sculpture.
It is the illustrations I am most interested in.
I bought Lise a small Eileen Soper etching from there last year (she was the Famous Five illustrator) It is a marvellous little picture called The Explorer and we just adore it. It captures Lise’s love of reading and dreams of adventures.
I ordered it online however and didn’t have chance to visit the gallery. Oh how many hours have I spent drooling over their art works online. I could not wait to visit.
I have my eye on a rather special Oliver Jeffers drawing and wanted to see it in person.
The gallery is currently hosting an exhibition (sadly over this week) and how marvellous it was! Quentin Blake and Emma Chichester Clark, Mabel Lucie Attwell, E H Shpard and oh so many more. It was like seeing my childhood books just spring to life.
The Beetles gallery was quirky with lots of ups and downs of stairs and pictures everywhere (as you would expect.) It was adorable, an Alice in Wonderland kind of art gallery. No boring clean white space here! Just room after room of amazing art, beautifully displayed and full of character.
As we wondered about our newly bought Pokemon cheeped unstoppably from it’s bag which made us giggle. Lise talked rather loudly and excitedly about the pictures she saw, and somehow it was okay. These pictures were made to be delighted in.
I absolutely adore children’s story books and both my children and I are avid readers. I always have been. I just love to see this art it makes me smile and brings back a feeling of deep familiarity, safety and warmth. probably it brings back a sense of childhood when all was well in the world.
This original Quentin Blake belongs to my children (how lucky!) and it makes me smile every single day
My heart is set on the Oliver Jefferson picture I saw it is a preliminary drawing of a page from The Incredible Book Eating Boy
It is about ‘the trials and tribulations of a boy with a voracious appetite for books.’
My son Frankie is most definitely a book eating boy. I think this sketch would just be perfect for him! The gallery bought it out to show me from a bulging file of glorious Jeffers drawings. I swooned a little.
I am saving up!
I love to buy art that resonates with the people I buy it for. Do you pick art this way?
Do have a browse of Chris Beetles gallery London if you love illustration. It is a gallery to make you smile.
Where is Chris Beetles Gallery
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The exhibition sounds wonderful, I’m sorry to have missed it but will see what exhibitions are on when I’m next in London
I’ve never been and I must visit – it sounds fabulous. Oh how I loved Mabel Lucie Atwell! Did you buy the Oliver Jefferson illustration?
Author
Oh Molly not yet!! saving hard but need a new car and a billion other things need sorting but oh oh i am SO tempted
Ha, despite living in London, I’ve never visited this one (or many others for that matter!), it looks like it needs to go onto my ‘to do’ list, it looks wonderful! 🙂 x
How lovely. Looks like a great exhibition and nice to share it with your daughter 🙂
Ooooh, i have my eye on an Oliver Jeffers print too!!
Sounds like you two had a lovely trip to London, and i love the Minion.
How amazing that you have an original Quentin Blake!
I love a good girly day out like this x
We’re huge Oliver Jeffers fans in our house, I’m in love with his half-dipped portraits, wish I could afford one!
This place sounds absolutely gorgeous! I’ll put it on my (rather long) list of places to visit in London!
Wow, it looks fab! Nice to see all these recognisable images from books. I would love it there 🙂
Brilliant, you would love the House of Illustration in King’s Cross too! x
I’m so envious of your original Quentin Blake! What a treasure. This sounds like a wonderful place, which I hadn’t come across before – thanks for sharing.
Author
I know how lucky we are! Did you know Quenin Blake has opened a little museum now in London called House of Illustration
This sounded amazing, sorry to have missed it. I think your eye for art is brilliant B and I can’t wait to see what you pick out next.
Oh WOW! What a fabulous day out! How I wish I’d known about the exhibition in time to see it but I’ll definitely be making a beeline for the gallery asap and am off for a rummage on the website RIGHT NOW!
Author
and I am off to look at your beetroot marmalade… how fabulous!