December 2025

As a child of the 70s, with an Americophile art teacher dad and a particular nostalgia for Northern California, Wayne Thiebaud’s work is hard wired for me. The current show at the Courtauld is a vanishingly rare opportunity to see his paintings in the real in this country. Most of the works are on loan from public and private collections in the US and I can’t imagine they’ll be gathered together again for a long, long time. I loved the familiarity of the images: the ice cream cones, the pies, the gumball machines and the cakes. What I hadn’t appreciated (because I really knew his work from postcard reproductions) was what a gorgeous painter he is: luscious brushstrokes; glorious colour and beautiful compositions, which just really reminded me of Bonnard (another of my all time faves) with that exaggerated, upturned perspective and strong and sumptuous horizontal lines. Honestly my favourite show of the year, and possibly a lot longer. It doesn’t close until 18th January and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

It has been something of a trip back to the 70s for me this month. The Mastermind, directed by Kelly Reichardt, starring Josh O’Connor and set on the East coast of the States towards the end of the Vietnam war, is quietly completely riveting and the most perfect evocation of the period. It traces the story of a hapless art thief but in its very particular lack of drama and action, completely subverts the heist genre. I don’t think it’s for everyone (we had quite a spirited discussion afterwards) but I loved it. And the production design is sublime.

I can’t talk about films to see without mentioning my lovely husband’s latest documentary, Jo in the Water. The film, which follows accidental activist and sea swimmer Jo Bateman’s legal case against South West Water, premiered in Exeter a couple of weeks ago, with an audience of wild swimmers, anglers, environmental campaigners, artists and general well-wishers. It was a life-affirming, heartfelt and joyful occasion. Felt very proud. See it in cinemas in the Spring.

I’ve been revisiting my obsession with Gee's Bend quilts. Christmas is coming and the sewing machine is being pressed in to service. If you don’t already know it, Gee's Bend is a tiny African American town in rural Alabama with a world renowned quilt making tradition which dates back to the 19th Century. These are quilts, crafted from reused materials like fertiliser and flour sacks, which don’t follow rigid, traditional patchwork patterns but are improvisational and free form and just beautiful. They are the Abstract Expressionist paintings of the folk art world. Friends and family, expect poor imitations this festive season.