Those of you who have been to our concerts either at Hampstead Lane or at the Highgate Society may have noticed a slight figure in the front row discreetly playing with a sketch pad. This is Alison Gardiner. I met Alison through the Islington Festival whose concerts she had been recording last summer – including the delightful Sergio Busceli and his theorbo who was performing at one of their late night concerts at the Little Angel theatre.
Alison is a self taught artist and ex-podiatrist who lives in North London.
Her specialism had been looking after homeless and vulnerable people – whose feet, thanks to their often precarious lifestyle, presented interesting challenges for a podiatrist.
When working from home during lockdown, she found that her drawing connected her with many of the groups who were bringing the community together in innovative ways – foodbanks, eco campaigners, wildlife conservationists, musicians and performers – bluegrass, improvisational jazz, early music, klezmer and performance poetry. As an amateur musican herself, she particularly enjoyed sketching musicans at work and she soon found that her sketches allowed her both to record and to promote some of their activities. She had also become, in her own words, ‘an obsessive sketcher’. So she decided to pack in the foot work and focus on the sketching.
Preferring to draw live rather than from photos, everyday finds her out and about, sketching the view from the heights of Hampstead…..
…or the streetscape at Crouch End….
….or indeed any event that she comes across in her wanderings. This was a couple having their wedding photos taken around the Hill Garden pond…..
….this was an ‘abandoned’ motorbike from a trip to the Outer Hebrides!
However, I am delighted to say that musicians still feature whenever they are around to be sketched. This is Camilla Pay, our lovely harpist from her concert back in March.
And this is guitarists Sol Grimshaw and Harry Diplock from our very first Highgate Society lunchtime jazz concert last year.
And I very much hope that she will be with us both for next Sunday’s Highgate Festival lunchtime jazz concert and then on July 13th for our exploration of Thomas Hardys’ poems with Lotte, James and Arthur (see below).
Meanwhile if you would like to see more of her prolific output or contact her, check in the Instagram page at @alison.gardiner.art
And beware, if you are at a concert where she is sketching. If she gets through with the musicians in good time, she might just turn her attention to the audience! This was a quick sketch she did of me when I wasn’t looking.
Upcoming concerts
Sunday 11th June – lunchtime concert with The Reliables
As part of this year’s Highgate Festival on Sunday 11th June we have Highgate local Rob Pfeiffer (guitar and vocal) and long term collaborator Dave Barrows (sax, flute and electronics) giving us a taste of African dance grooves, classical Indian music and modern Jazz.
Sunday 11th June – 12.00 noon – £15 to include copious quantities of Bucks Fizz – Book here
Thursday 13th July – Thomas Hardy poems set to music
Some of Thomas Hardy’s most famous poems were written following the death of his first wife Emma from whom he had been estranged for 20 years. These lyric poems, expressingly deeply felt ‘regret and remorse’, are regarded as the peak of Hardy’s poetic achievement.
They inspired Australian mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean – who, in turn inspired composer Arthur Keegan. The result is a song cycle which, together with guitarist James Girling, they are recording this autumn. But meanwhile we get to enjoy a preview of their work. For a flavour, check in to their Wessex Songs website where you can hear some of their rehearsal tapes.
£28 to include buffet supper and wine – buy tickets here.
Saturday 9th September – The Voice Trio – Lighter Patterns of Love
On 9th September we are going back to Highgate School Chapel for a recital by the lovely Voice Trio, Victoria, Clemmie and Emily, who gave us such a wonderful evening devoted to Hildbrand of Bingen eighteen months ago.
The concert will start at 7 with a short interval for a (free) glass of wine in the quadrangle. Ticket cost- £20.
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