Author: Glenis

A Night of Jazz, Art, and Warmth at Ladbroke Hall

London Culture & Places

A Welcoming Evening of Music and Old Friends

I spent a wonderful evening at Ladbroke Hall, catching up with old friends and soaking in the warm, generous atmosphere. Even with a little drama around our drinks, the night felt full of charm, connection, and unexpected insights. The jazz musicians were exceptional, and the space itself — with its lighting, décor, and art — offered endless inspiration.

The Music That Set the Tone

One of the highlights was the bass player, who delivered several impressive solos early in the set. A friend sitting beside me was fascinated by how confidently he stepped forward so soon in the performance. The singer also captivated the room. She performed several Ella Fitzgerald classics and shared stories from her school days as a young vocalist.

She spoke about her work with David Attenborough on TV soundscapes. She told a humorous story about performing My Heart Belongs to Daddy at the Savoy. There was one woman who wasn’t amused. These personal touches made the performance feel intimate and alive.

Enjoying the Jazz ambiance and thoughtful lighting at Ladbroke Hall

The Drinks Drama (and a Lesson in Service)

Our drinks, however, took 90 minutes to arrive. We watched servers glide past with trays of ginger ale and desserts for friends who joined us later. Our own orders, a virgin mojito for me and a cosmopolitan for my friend, remained mysteriously absent.

Eventually, a kind server stepped in, sorted everything out, and even offered us complimentary drinks. The manager became involved too, which added a layer of tension to an otherwise relaxing evening. Still, the staff’s dedication and the server’s kindness stayed with me long after.

Art, Décor, and the Beauty of the Space

I was drawn to the lighting as always. It shaped the room. It softened edges. It created pockets of intimacy. Ladbroke Hall is full of intriguing decorative pieces. These range from the giant Sunbeam car emblem on the staircase wall to the sculpture of a chimpanzee in chains.

One of the sculptured lighting installations at Ladbroke Hall

As an artist, I’m always curious about how spaces hold stories. The symbolism and boldness of these pieces felt like a quiet conversation with my own work. This is especially true for my ongoing exploration of presence. I also focus on emotional resonance and the power of motifs.

I particularly liked how their main lighting installation in the reception area used natural organic fibers.

I use these natural materials extensively in my Sinamay lampshades as well. The gallery below shows how the natural fibers influence lighting and interior vibe right now.

Close up of my own lable.
Hessian lampshades

I’m told there’s a beautiful garden on site. There is also an art gallery. I’m already planning a return visit to explore more of the collection.

A Personal Insight on Dedication and Care

One of the most striking aspects of the evening was the attentiveness of the ushers. You give your name at the entrance, and someone personally guides you to your seat. The usher supporting our section must have climbed that long staircase dozens of times. His energy and commitment made me feel genuinely valued.

I even promised myself that if I bumped into him on the way out, I’d ask about his step count. That job must keep you incredibly fit.

Experiences like this always feed my creative practice. They remind me why I’m drawn to creating art that blends presence, symbolism, and emotional connection. Spaces that make you feel both held and inspired have a way of staying with you.

Planning My Next Visit

I’d love to hear about your own experience of Ladbroke Hall. Did you enjoy the music, the restaurant, the gallery, or the gardens? Your insights might help shape my next visit. I’m eager to explore the gallery and see more of the art collection.

If you want to browse my natural fiber lighting section in my Etsy shop, please click on the button below

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Workplace Themes in Akram Khan’s Giselle Performance

London Culture & Places

Yesterday I attended the English National Ballet performance of Akram Khans rendition of Giselle.

It was their final day, and I saw the matinee at 2 pm. I know the original ballet and have seen it at The Royal Opera House. I was mesmerised by the set and the striking choreography.
I especially connected with the reworked storyline. It was set in a factory. The themes about workplace atrocities were strong. The Willis, who are ghost-like characters, were portrayed as the ghosts of workers harmed by their workplaces. This was instead of the original, where they were the spirits of women wronged by their betrothed.

The reworked story resonated with me. It empowered me to continue creating art about how people struggle with workplace relationships and power dynamics. It is indeed OK to show that struggles occur amid toxic work environments. They occur because of the wrangling within their organisation.
The reworking of the Giselle story encouraged me. It showed that creating artworks based on something quite commercial and industrial is not that new and is very possible. Art can highlight the ugly side of human behaviours well while still being portrayed beautifully through art.

If you would like to see the art I created for a home office bookshelf in this vein, you can find it in my shop. The art reflects this style. These nod to the cultural complexities in workplaces. Please click this button to find them in my shop.

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How Bruce Springsteen Inspired My Creative Process

Personal Reflections

I’ve just seen the Bruce Springsteen biopic (Deliver Me from No Where) at my local cinema (Act One). I rushed out on Friday straight after work to see it, catching the early evening show starting at 5:40.

Just one other person was sitting in screen one. Or was it screen two? I was delighted to have the screen to ourselves. Yet I was still worried about disturbing the person in the next row with the rustle of my crisp bag. Although we had the screen to ourselves, I noticed how Act One Cinema is buzzing these days. They had a sell-out event in the lounge. I expected to see a fuller theater. I began to wonder why there weren’t more people attending. There were only two of us watching. This turned out to symbolize a parallel experience to the main story in the film. We were two lone viewers watching the film about Bruce Springsteen’s solitary segment of his journey as a songwriter. We were thus not alone.

I imagine that the film’s marketers would say that I might not be a typical fan of The Boss. This is because I am a 60+ black British female. I deduce this because I rarely see people who look like me in the video glimpses I catch of him singing to his massive audiences. But. I’ve always loved the Rolling Stones. I have even been to their Hyde Park concert in the early 90s. Nevertheless, I never went to a Bruce Springsteen concert.

I received the Act One cinema newsletter announcing the film. Instantly, I wanted to see the movie and booked it.

The ticket booking then took me on a nostalgic journey. I remembered days playing some of Springsteen’s popular tracks on a couple of albums. This was while I worked in Qatar many decades ago (early 80’s). We played Springsteen tunes at dizzy expatriate parties.

I also played his album during moments when I felt alone there. The songs provided comfort when, as a 22/23-year-old, I was far away from home. Many of his lyrics expressed my feelings about home. They made me realise I missed my home folks. They also highlighted my need to celebrate identity. I felt this way even though I wasn’t born in the USA. During those lonely times, Bruce Springsteen’s songs made me feel connected and uplifted.

unmemorable purchase

When I think about buying the album on cassette, I now wonder if it wasn’t a knockoff from the souk. Or perhaps it was an acquisition made during a frenzied shopping moment at the airport duty free. This could have been during one of the trips we did to Dubai or Bahrain. I certainly didn’t buy the Bruce Springsteen album in a cherished way from Tower Records. It wasn’t bought from HMV on Oxford Street. And it definitely wouldn’t be a connoisseur-like buy of a vinyl album. Back in those days, vinyl was what your dad’s music collection was on. Cassettes were the thing in the 80s.

The no Bruce years

When I came back to the UK in 1990, I don’t think I played any more Bruce Springsteen tracks. I recall one cheeky friend critiquing and questioning why I had Bruce Springsteen in my music collection. Then yesterday, I listened to the Nebraska track on Spotify. I was inspired to do this after watching the movie on Friday.

Making sense of the story

This morning, I watched a review of the Springsteen film on YouTube. It was by Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo. They, too, seemed to enjoy watching the film. The reviewers wondered whether the film that was centred on a specific part of Bruce Springsteen’s life had mass appeal. They thought it might be too nerdy among a couple of other things.

I can answer their query by saying that the film did indeed appeal to me. This is true even though I am outside the artist’s obvious main catchment group. I found observing the film’s depiction of Bruce’s creative process mesmerising. It was also very connecting. It really gave me a boost and encouragement around my own creative process. I resonated with the solitude and deep reflection shown in his music writing. He makes cultural connections using TV, film and news. His songs also draw from architecture and childhood memories. These inspirational elements resonated with me. Bruce Springsteen helped me feel less alone about my creativity once again. This time, it concerns the journey and who should be there in my creative process.

Antecedents to the creative process

In the film, there was also an important piece about subconscious messages and depression. It explored how the creation is the product of those surfaced thought processes. It made me recall something interesting I had read. Theresa Amabile, a creativity professor at Harvard, reminds us that Freud said creativity is the sublimation of repressed complexes.

Creativity is the sublimation of repressed complexes.

I particularly connected with the character and musician in scenes where he was searching for his dad. His dad was hearing voices and undergoing mental health challenges. Additionally, dealing with the worry of family members taking their medication was significant for me. It resonated with me. I also went on a journey to find my dad. He faced mental health challenges, too. The film depicted a paradoxical longing for family or home town connection. This longing persists despite being fearful of what you might find when you draw closer. It also showed the physical sickness and nausea felt when we draw near to the conflict. It is a terrifying task that is at hand. The complexities in the relationships with the people we want to support add to this challenge. The film depicted the mess and tensions around these fraught relationships well.

The sickness scene when he was driving to LA matches my memories. I remember using the sick bag on the plane returning to the UK. It wasn’t because of eating something bad. It was due to fear of reconnecting with my old town (London) and family.

My small series of poured-ink paintings and poured art conveys the complex, messy feelings about belonging. Figuratively, these also show the sickness and tensions felt in navigating relationship conflicts on the journey towards achieving psychological safety.

1st step to safety: Ink and poured paint on Yupo and digital
1st step to safety: Ink and poured paint on Yupo and digital

The above shows two segments from my series of poured paintings using alcohol inks or acrylic inks

I’m planning to create a set of stationery and training/meeting room desk decor from these poured paintings. Follow to learn about when these are released. Thanks for reading thus far.

Have you seen the film yet? What did you think?

Natural Shades: Stylish Burlap and Rattan Lampshades

Organisational Aesthetics

Here are a couple of images I took while out shopping. They helped me realize I can offer a collection of natural shades made of burlap, hessian, and sinamay. This collection has a finer and smoother texture than the rough feeling rattan.

Close up of my own label on Burlap lampshade.
Lampshades I saw available at John Lewis
A collection of lampshades against the natural sinamay fabric
Rattan lampshades in high street shop.
Small 15cm natural lampshades made of sinamay and burlap and trimmed with fancy metal for a maximalist look.

If there’s something you want that isn’t there, please use the Etsy convo button to create a custom order.

Click to see the natural shade section in the Etsy Shop

Browse Natural Shade Collection →

Autumn reflections on the summer of Transforming Paint Skins into Unique Jewellery, Alcohol Ink art Experiments and asserting my statement

Personal Reflections

Even with a busy 9-5 schedule, I’ve managed to find some time to experiment. I focus on recovery and taking care of my well-being during downtime. I’ve experimented with creating new items, like transforming my paint skins into brooches, necklace pendants, and cuff links.

I’ve also been painting with alcohol inks and love the wispy ethereal abstract results I get.

I’ve started to understand the ethos of my mark-making. This allows me to start asserting the components of an artist statement for my creations. It’s all about providing an opportunity to focus on the mess.

https://videopress.com/v/zSGCchgQ?resizeToParent=1&cover=1&autoPlay=0&controls=1&loop=0&muted=0&persistVolume=1&playsinline=0&preloadContent=metadata&sbc&sbpc&sblc&useAverageColor=1

What do you think about choosing art that portrays the reality of messy situations vs clear, crisp representations of things? It speaks to my critical realism.