Artemisia Gentileschi - Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting

Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura), by Artemisia Gentileshi,

at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace.

I have loved this exquisite painting for as long as I can remember so when I found out that it was exhibited as part of the Portrait of the Artist exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, I just had to go and see it.

Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting (La Pittura), 1638-39, (oil on canvas)

Artemisia Gentileschi is shown conceiving the idea for a painting, her brush poised ready to realise her vision on the empty canvas. Dressed in a dirtied apron and leaning on a grinding stone, she strains to observe her subject, sleeves pushed up to reveal muscular forearms. The gold chain around her neck - on which hangs a mask symbolising imitation - as well as her wild hair and iridescent dress, all correspond with the description of Pittura, the female personification of Painting. In conflating her own likeness with Pittura, Gentileschi creates a truly original image - and one unavailable to her male contemporaries. The painting is also about Gentileschi herself: strong, confident, skilled. Gentileschi's portrayal of herself as the epitome of the arts was a bold statement to make for the period and was very controversial in its time.

Oxford Ceramics Gallery

Oxford Ceramics Gallery, Walton Street, Oxford.

An in-between visit: the Black and White exhibition has finished, and the new one is not up yet, but there was still lots of see.

Gordon Baldwin

Peter Wills

Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley

Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley

Peter Wills

Peter Wills

Takeshi Yasuafa

Derek Wilson

Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley

Alison Britton

Elspeth Owen

Elspeth Owen

Rafa Perez

Rafa Perez

Ewen Hendersen

Ewen Hendersen

Mo Jupp

Seigo Kaneyuki

Niisato Akio

Paula Rego

Paula Rego - The Depression Series,

at Marlborough Fine Art, Mayfair, London.

In 2007 Paula Rego suffered a particularly desperate bout of depression that nearly killed her. 'I did the pictures when I was feeling very depressed. I was trying to draw my way out of the depression. But then I didn't want people to see them because I felt ashamed of being so depressed. So, I hid them, afraid that if I took them out again my depression would return'.

The twelve pastels in muted black, ochre and mustard yellow are exhibited in Marlborough Fine Art. 'The pictures show the way I felt. Stuck, as if tied up, unable to move. Sometimes I hold onto the wrong thing - like that big rubber thing in the picture - thinking that it might help, but on the contrary, it doesn't help at all. You don't know good from bad'.

Ten, 2007, (pastel on paper)

Seven 2007, (pastel on paper)

Two, 2007, (pastel on paper)

Four, 2007,  (pastel on paper)

Six, 2007, (pastel on paper)

Five, 2007, (pastel on paper)

Three, 2007, (pastel on paper)

Eleven, 2007, (pastel on paper)

One, 2007, (pastel on paper)

Nine, 2007, (pastel on paper)

Eight, 2007, (pastel on paper)

looking closer

looking closer

Mermaid, 2007, (pastel on paper)

A canal walk

It had been a while since we'd done a canal walk, so on Sunday we drove to Lapworth and then started walking along the South Stratford canal.

The sun was so strong that everything looked hazy

unless you had the sun behind you.

We met very few people which suited us well

wonderful reflections in the water.

and the odd lockkeepers cottage here and there.

Quite a few narrow boats.

Another lockkeeper's cottage with the rounded roof that's characteristic of the South Stratford: apparently the craftspeople who built these cottages were so used to constructing barrel-vaulted bridges that they used the same technique for cottage roofs.

It was a very pleasant walk

an unusually-shaped shed

These two came to say hello

another barrel-vaulted roof

a bit of colour

an old sign.