Inês Freitas

Finding moods and details at "Hoi Polloi" exhibition @thebrown_collection gallery. Getting lost in fine lines and the minutiae of small works On the studio table, the sketchbook lingers on L A T E L Y S U R F A C E One of Henry Moore’s crayon boxes, in his Etching studio. A gentle reminder to grab my own box and ease into some studio practice. Current mood… when painting seems to be a thing of the past! Missing time in the studio, but strangely feeling less creative than I usually am at this time of the year. Still finding inspiration all around me, but not enough time and space for creating. It will come, I know my rythms… August, Queluz Palace. I went back. 1998 was the last time I’d step foot into these walls and gardens. And as soon as I stepped in I was flooded with memories… 27 years! 27 years ago, in the southernmost wing, I restored several murals, ceilings and gilded window shutters. Not much has changed… the corners and nooks still enchant, carrying the charm of past centuries and the stories that can be traced in between. Patina, dust and faded decay sadly still inhabit the palace - as does the willingness to preserve and share the long lasting tales of grandeur and glory. In my little bubble I reminisce the rain in the window panes, the musty smell of old upholstered chairs or the freshly waxed tiles scent, the endless corridors, the secret doorways and passages between rooms, the balancing act of climbing the scaffold, the endless but lovingly scrapping, sanding and rubbing of plaster, the minutia of painting flower petals and the payers for a steady hand, specially when you need to paint straight lines at floor level (cue in the last pic!) and yes: the sounds blasting off my walkman as I headed down for another day as a junior conservator! “Art is the only place you can do what you like. That’s freedom.” Paula Rego L O U S Ã