I have been to most of the Barbican exhibitions over the last ten years and I have to say that I found the works by Beatriz González now on display have been some of the most affecting …
The Guardian reviewer wrote as follows: The art of Beatriz González is drenched in light, strong colour and blood. Her sprawling, uneven retrospective reflects the turbulent politics and violence of her native Colombia, and the breadth of a body of work that addressed art history and popular culture, provincialism and universality. At times she is as biting as a cartoonist, depicting generals as a row of anonymous blank-faced parrots. “I did not want to be a lady who paints,” she once said. Born in the provincial town of Bucaramanga in 1932, González died this January in Bogotá, shortly before the current exhibition travelled to the Barbican from the Pinacoteca in São Paolo. She was 93.
I am going to post some of my images from the exhibition here. The Guardian reviewer describes González’s work as compelling and that is certainly the case.
Los Papagayos (The Parrots) 1987 …
The exhibition closes on Sunday 10 May 2026.
Some recent images of mine.
I’ve been out and about at dusk again …
A blue sky for a change …
The Hi-Viz jacket team meet up at the end of the day at 2 Aldermanbury …
Silhouettes …
Brake light reflections …
‘It’s pouring rain so we’re having a lie-in’ …
St Paul’s Cathedral on a sunny day – what could be more beautiful?
Combination – spire, dome, plane and golden pineapple …
This time with a bird in flight …
The Phoenix and Resurgam – ‘I shall rise again’ …
At Bunhill Burial Ground …
The Silk Street flower bed cheers me up every day. Planting in October last year …
Yesterday …
Final reminder …
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On a very, very cold day last weekend I visited some of the installations on the Festive Fleet Street Quarter Sculpture Trail. This year there is a special guest, Snoopy, the famous dog from the Peanuts cartoons which are celebrating 75 years since they were first published. You can read more about the cartoon and its famous characters here.
There are twelve sculptures in all and I visited four of them. The trail is in place until January 16 and here are the images I took along with details of the artists.
Just in front of the St Paul’s Visitor Centre is Laura-Kate Draws’ work Snoopy’s Winter Chorus …
This festive birdhouse is alive with colourful robins, blue tits, and seasonal plants found in the UK. These small but resilient birds bring brightness and song to the darkest months, reminding us of nature’s beauty even in the coldest seasons.
Laura-Kate Draws’ work is inspired by the connections between nature, creativity, and community. Through public art, she hopes to create moments of curiosity and wonder that invites people of all ages to pause, reflect, and feel more connected to their environment.
In St Bride’s Passage is Plant Dreams, Harvest Joy by Kim Thompson …
The design parallels the act of cultivation and being in nature with Snoopy, a beloved character who has come to symbolise creativity, imagination and optimism.
Kim Thompson is an award-winning Illustrator and Contemporary Painter. A love letter to retro-kitsch, her bold and engaging work often centres visual narrative, aiming to unify and empower audiences via shared experience.
In Playhouse Yard is Simon Randall’s Penguin Parade …
This design features a happy, wintery scene with playful penguins all wrapped up in cuddly jumpers enjoying the snow. Joyful Christmas lights are entwined across the sculpture.
Simon is a painter, illustrator, graphic designer and arts educator, living with his young family in rural Yorkshire. Working in hospital and PRU settings for much of his career, Simon finds every opportunity to expressive himself creatively, but also to share his passion with young people.
At Ludgate Circus is Amanda Quellin’s Home for Christmas (my favourite) …
Christmas is all about traditions, those passed down and those we create to pass down in turn. This sculpture of Snoopy is based on the iconic tradition of decorating your house, or in this case Snoopy’s iconic red Doghouse, with Christmas lights.
Amanda Quellin is a professional scenic artist who has completed over 65 sculptures for Wild in Art trails. She is currently about to collaborate with scientists who are raising money from the sale of artworks to fund scientific research into environmental issues.
You can download a map and listen to an audio trail here.
I’ve always loved Snoopy and his friends! You can see and read more about them here.
The aromas as I walk down Whitecross Street on weekdays remind me of the street foods we encountered Asian countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia – absolutely delicious. Here they do a great trade with office workers but I took these images as they were setting up and before the queues started forming. There weren’t as many stalls as usual, probably because it was just after the holiday.
Finally, some wildlife in Winter.
A seagull contemplates the frozen lake …
Then, to make matters worse, a disorientated pigeon lands on top of him …
Uneasy neighbours …
Then he joined a friend for a stroll on the ice …
Pigeons sunbathing on my balcony (they didn’t take kindly to me disturbing them, I’m definitely getting the ‘evil eye’) …
Oh, and here are the first dumped Christmas trees of 2026 …
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One of the delights of the City of London is that every now and then something pops up unexpectedly, and last Sunday it was this …
It was a wonderful exhibition with mudlarkers displaying their finds and all happy to chat …
It was only on for two days, so is finished now, but if you want to keep up to date with what is happeneing in the mudlarking world, I suggest you follow Jason Sandy on Instagram or Gail Howell @find_it_pick_it_up
Remember that the London Museum Docklands is still hosting its Mudlarking-themed Secrets of the Thames exhibition. Highly recommended.
A few weeks ago found me walking along the Regent’s Canal where it runs through Mile End Park. These are a few of the sights I saw along the way.
A happily decorated barge …
Three intriguing steel sculptures…
On the left is Sylvia Pankhurst (1882 – 1960), a leading member of the suffragette movement, who worked tirelessly to improve living conditions in the East End. On the right is Ledley King (born 1980). He grew up in the heart of East London and went on to play with Spurs and represent England at the World Cup …
A Towpath Horse …
Horses were essential to pull boats along the canal and bring trade and business to the area.
If the canal ever gets blocked up, a giant plunger is available for use …
I am baffled by what appears to be an anteater in the background …
The canal runs along the edge of Victoria Park or Vicky Park/the People’s Park as it is known by locals. The Chinese Pagoda is actually a replica of one that started life at the entrance to the Chinese exhibition in Hyde Park in 1842 and was then purchased for Victoria Park …
Emerging from the still water, Romanian artist Erno Bartha’s eye-catching hay sculptures have towered the West Lake in Victoria Park for almost ten years …
