The Montage - Art Gallery, Coffee Shop and Vintage Store

About 9 years ago I used to live in Forest Hill, a South East district of London, with the postcode SE23. While I was living in a small apartment in a Victorian house, Forest Hill, although an affluent area in the nineteenth century, was then still quite neglected "up and coming" area, with just a few independent shops, a couple of not so interesting coffee shops and a new branch of Sainsbury supermarket (not counting the magnificent Horniman Museum and Gardens of course).

But the area was full of artists. And it didn't take long for the creative and enterprising spirit to assert itself, in the form of new art galleries, art cafes, and designer and vintage shops. Well established Havelock Walk Studios have been already there for many years, but now the whole area is buzzing with creative activity.

The Montage arrived on the scene last year, after a group of Polish artists got a lease on the dilapidated house and spent several months renovating it. And they did it in a true spirit of environmental friendliness. The place is the upcycling galore!

The Montage is an Art Gallery upstairs, and a Coffee Shop / Gallery / Vintage Store downstairs. It is a very nice combination. The owners' passion for art and all things old shows in every corner.  

The coffee shop was recently extended into the back garden. The old doors are not for sale, but almost everything else is.

The Montage is a very children friendly place. There is a room downstairs, full of toys, where kids can play, while parents catch up with friends over coffee and cake.

And the cakes are delicious! As a person with a wheat intolerance, I could even find several yummy options for myself.

The paintings seen on the walls here are by Agnieszka Handzel and Pawel Wasek.
For more information on The Montage click here.

The Montage - Art Gallery, Coffee Shop and Vintage Store

Abstract Art for Children

I recently found myself painting almost abstract pictures for children. Here are some examples:

I guess it is quite important to train a child from early age to appreciate art and expose them to different forms of art. Then later they will make confident choices when it comes to all sorts of designs and esthetics in life.

I still remember vividly the paintings and prints on my parents walls when I was a child. I used to watch them for a long time and get lost in my imagination.

Colors and shapes are inspiring. They feed your soul. They can lift up your mood and make you feel happy for no reason.

To see more go to www.yolantaprints.etsy.com

Abstract Art for Children

Pictures inspired by Crystal Palace

I live in South London, in the area close to Crystal Palace Park. I will write about this special place more in another post, as it really deserves it, but today I wanted to share with you my two new paintings inspired by Crystal Palace.

The first picture is my free take on the iconic Crystal Palace TV Transmitter:

I paint in Ecoline watercolors (by Talens), which are my favorite. The colors have amazing luminosity. Here is the detail of this painting:

There are a lot of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures in the park (well, only concrete ones...), so my next picture is showing one of the dinosaurs:

The pictures look good together on the Mid Century sideboard in my studio:

You can see more at www.yolantaprints.etsy.com

Pictures inspired by Crystal Palace

Yolanta Prints on Etsy

I am very excited! Yesterday I finally opened my art shop on Etsy, called Yolanta Prints. It contains the first four items to begin with, but I will be listing new items almost on daily basis. This is the first item, the Elephant. It's good to start with an elephant, as it is a magical animal. It is also connected to Shri Ganesha, Indian God of innocence and wisdom, who has the body of a child and the head of an elephant. He removes all obstacles.

In Yolanta Prints shop I am selling limited edition prints of my original watercolor illustrations. The prints are signed and numbered and sold unframed. Here is another print, a little abstraction with a letter 'Y'.

To see more, please visit my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/YolantaPrints?ref=si_shop

I am having fun with this series. I am focusing on painting, painting, painting and it feels good. 

See you soon
Yolanta

Yolanta Prints on Etsy