Turner and the Masters @ Tate Britain

Last night I attended a Corporate Supporters' Private View of Turner and the Masters at Tate Britain. It was a highly subscribed event and unfortunately the air conditioning was not up to the job. If the room temperature was more comfortable, I would lingered for longer.

That said, the show is a demonstration of the breadth of subject matter Turner depicted and how he was directly influenced by his contemporaries and by earlier painters, such as Rembrandt and Canaletto.

Viewing such a large number of works made me realise that Turner was not a master of representing the human figure. Faces and bodies appear swiftly drawn - unfinished even - against the backdrop of a carefully rendered background. My favourite works are the ones where the sense of light and weather is palpable, from a cool moonlight evening to a stormy day where boats appear through fog and mist, tossed by an angry sea.

Canteen

I really like the ethos of Canteen. Serving Brit classics like pies, fish & chips, stews and a daily roast dinner, it is comfort food done well. Last night at the Royal Festival Hall branch, I had the steak and mushroom pie with smooth mash and spinach. With most mains around the £10 mark, it is also excellent value.

Service is friendly and efficient but not overbearing and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. It speaks volumes that on a Monday night, we waited 20 minutes for a table. The Spitalfields branch is worth visiting for a big breakfast before hitting the market.

Thomas Heatherwick @ Haunch of Venison

Thomas Heatherwick's new exhibition Extrusions, includes six extruded, mirror-polished, aluminium benches made without fittings or fixtures. Heatherwick commissioned a die through which single 'plugs' of aluminium were 'squeezed', resulting in a series of graceful pieces with dramatic curves. The shape and high metallic shine, achieved by hundreds of hours of polishing, is reminiscent of the Cadillac icon.

(image source: Haunch of Venison.)

Dan Flavin @ Haunch of Venison

Running until the end of October at the Haunch of Venison is a showcase of works by Dan Flavin. Located in Burlington Gardens, the high ceilings and large gallery rooms lend themselves to displaying Flavin's work beautifully.

I like being able to peer behind the works to see the how the different light sources are strategically placed to create the finished works of warm, glorious light.

(image source: Haunch of Venison)

Clearing

The Sartorialist...now in handy book form

I have been a keen reader of Scott Schuman's blog, The Sartorialist, for about four years now. It is a constant source of inspiration which has changed the way I put together my own outfits each morning. Now there is a book celebrating Schuman's work. At more than 500 pages, I find myself dipping into it on a daily basis. I even had to rewind (thanks Sky+) a key scene from the season 1 finale of 'True Blood' because I was distracted by some of the Paris photos. That's about the highest recommendation I can make.