I love Bloomsbury. In between the tree lined streets and the garden squares you come across the oddest of shops. In that magical way of the best odd shops you feel like you have never seen them before, and that they have been there forever.
This time is was L Cornellison and Son an art supplier for the very serious painter. It had an air of Ollivanders, and the costume shop from Mr Ben, where turning a corner could take you into another world.
It also struck me as an interesting place to study light – that essential medium for both the artist and the photographer.
The staff were a little bemused that I wanted to take pictures, but kindly let me do so as long as I didn’t snap them or any of the customers, which was fine, my interest was in objects not people.
A case in point was this case, which I half expected to fly open with a selection of wands ready to choose me.
I kept the light deliberately low on these brushes, there was something about the auburn bristles that was very compelling.
I liked the play of light against the different colours in the bottles, the only slight change to the setting of the shelf was to twist the Copaiba Balsam to hide the price, because that cheapened the whole composition (although it was ruinously expensive).
A drawer full of pastels to round things off.
End
Ali Abbas 