Art and cool lillies in blackpropaganda

First of all, congratulations to the English ladies soccer team that beat Germany in the third place play off in the World Cup in Edmonton - great work to beat the old enemy for the first time - and great team performance after the disappointment against Japan.

Yesterday had one of those days which was very satisfying. A couple of weeks ago the walking group had a day away walking in another town and I was able to go into a gallery in a park which I love. It had a retrospective exhibition of one of the painters I love - now 80. We have one of his pictures which was out most expensive painting when we got it. I found out he was doing a talk on the his paintings yesterday afternoon - I booked a couple of free tickets - and we made use of the trip to do some shopping, have lunch, and go to the gallery for the talk. It was wonderful to get an insight into his methods of painting and print making over 60 years or so. He talked about each painting in the show with humour - no wonder his art is so approachable.

Here he is pointing out a feature of a print

and one of his prints of a Britanny fishing boat

and I had to photograph this lily this morning - standing proud in the garden - like the roses they quickly decay - but I love the purity of the white petals and the phallic prong sticking out to attract the insects -
coolness and passion in one flower