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I put the story into art history

Behind the Baubles: the real story of Father Christmas

I am delighted to be performing my Christmas show in aid of Richmond Borough Mind, a wonderful mental health charity that supports the local community.

We’ll go behind the baubles to delve into the life of St Nicholas, a.k.a. Father Christmas as depicted by a host of (possibly deranged) Renaissance artists. Important questions such as ‘why do we get oranges in our stockings’ and ‘why is Dali’s Christmas angel exploding?’ will be asked. And answered. This light hearted talk is a fast moving, fact filled journey of seasonal discovery.

Wednesday, 11 December at 7.30pm. Tickets are available here

And if you can’t make the 11th, you have another chance to unwrap Santa on Sunday 22 December at the fabulous Phoenix Arts Club. What could be better than an afternoon full of festive spirit(s) to get you in the mood for the big day?!

Sunday, 22 December at 2pm. Tickets are available here

art historian showing reverence to Artemisia Gentileschi

High-fiving the extraordinary Artemisia Gentileschi at the National Gallery, October 2020

Have you often thought you’d like to know more about art and art history but never had the time or been too daunted to know where to start?

Welcome to Beyond the Palette where art history and entertainment are gloriously combined. 

Join me and start your voyage into a curious but often laughably familiar world as we delve into the stories, beauty and obscurity of artworks from medieval altarpieces to impressionism, via the renaissance, baroque and rococo. 

Let me take you beyond the palette where artworks, artists, scandals, myths and the simple everyday lives of ordinary people are all woven into accessible, relatable and humorous narratives to make art history as inspiring and exciting for you as it is for me. 

We really enjoyed Wicked Women. You were natural and funny that made it easy to follow the commentary.

Chris and JeanetteVirtual Art Tour

A tour de force... fascinating, funny and memorable, you made the hour fly by.

Diana Isabel Jervis-Read, Fellow of the Royal Society of ArtsGallery Art Tour

That’s just what I want! Where can I find you to learn about art?

I operate a range of gallery art tours at the National Gallery in London, or invite me to come and present an art talk at a venue or occasion of your choice.

If you aren’t local or would prefer to enjoy some exciting art history from the comfort of your sofa, why not book one of my virtual art talks via Zoom?

Looking for something completely different? Commission a bespoke sketch to celebrate a meaningful or well-loved work of art.

If you’d like a taster of what Beyond the Palette has to offer, I have a large back catalogue of videos about art that you can delve into for free on the Free Art Videos page. Many of these videos are complemented by an Elevenses Blog if you prefer to read rather than watch.

To stay in touch and find out what’s new, join the mailing list here, and to read what other people have to say about Beyond the Palette, you can see reviews on the Reviews page of the website and at Trustpilot.

I’d like to see and hear more about Beyond the Palette

Take a look at my promotional video which will give you a taste of what I do and how I do it!