Fate on a Bus

Exhibit A (funky bus)

I live by the philosophy that everything happens for a reason, even if you can’t see that reason at the time. Last weekend, as I sat on a stationary bus for a good forty minutes (the joy of finding a seat having been quickly replaced by the harsh reality that the vehicle would not be leaving the busstop anytime soon), I too struggled to understand why the gods were being quite so crummy!

When I finally gave up and got off though, I ended up walking right into the heart of the Lord Mayor’s Show. As an almost 800 year tradition, cutting off three miles of London’s roads, I really should have known the parade was happening but, if I had, I probably would have avoided the entire area. I wouldn’t have seen this groovy bus, taken a snap of Exhibit A (with the camera I had been planning on using at the end of my, ultimately failed, bus journey) and then discovered CCA Galleries' website. A website full of amazing artwork! The pieces are technically sale items but together they make a brilliant online exhibition for those of us who can’t even afford the luxury of quilted toilet paper, let alone invest in superfluous canvases, however engaging!

Some of the work is controversial, others personal and certain pieces just fun but they are all beautiful. I absolutely love this type of contemporary art; there is certainly more to these creations than a roller and a tin of Dulux!

Obviously, I would rather not be sued for crimes of copyright (I already have red marks against my name for repeated (accidental) Oyster Card felonies) but here is a pick of some pieces that stood out to me:

Love Letters-Patrick Hughes

 Patrick Hughes's pieces are full of humour, charm and colour. Also look out for 'Lifesaver'; an image of a heart floating in a rubber dingy in the middle of a desolate sea-deep or what?

Love-Dan Baldwin

Baldwin's work is full of symbolism; a modern Salvador Dali, one might say and he can often be quite controversial. However, this piece tells the personal story of how he met his true love and the meaning of the word.

St. Michael's Mount-Donald Hamilton Fraser

 Simply put, I love the colours! I love the way the sky looks like ice and how he has modernised the classic art of landscape painting.

Vichy-A Convention of Comic Book Characters-Sir Peter Blake

I love a bit of Pop Art and Blake is the modern master. Some of his work is absurd to a Monty Python-cartoon-interlude level but it makes you laugh out loud. Who wouldn't want to see what Paris looks like full of elephants?

What’s more, each piece also has a write-up to explain the artist’s ideas behind the image. So sit back, relax and catch up on a bit of culture from the comfort of your own sofa!

The link to the website is http://www.ccagalleries.com/ 

Let me know what you think. What are your favourite pieces?

xx