When we find ourselves in front of a great piece of art, it can do something powerful to us.
If we look at it a while, it can slow us down, open us up, and through some mysterious process, reveal something important about the world and our place within it. That is my experience. Great artworks are, to quote the writer Henri Nouwen, Mysterious Windows. I love to peer through these windows, share what I find, and to accompany others as they do the same. If you’d like to join me on a gallery tour, hear me talk, read my essays, or make art yourself, then read on!
“I think we were all entranced by your talk last night. Thank you for presenting what is clearly your passion.”
SUE
INTRIGUED?
READ
I write about art over on my blog, which you can read and subscribe to here.
MAKE
Do you have a creative impulse you no longer act on? ‘Make Time’ is a weekly online call to work quietly, alongside others, on a project you’ve not yet got round to. Read more here and sign up here.
VISIT
I offer tours of art galleries in the UK and Europe, for groups and individuals. Scroll down to see more, or email me to make an enquiry.
LISTEN
I give talks & seminars too. Scroll down or sign up to my blog to hear about upcoming events.
“What Jake does is beautiful – it is so interesting how art communicates in its own language.”
RACHEL
UPCOMING TOURS & EVENTS
All of these events are free. RSVP as instructed below. And if you would like to support my work by making a small monthly donation then you can do so here.
One Morning, 500 Years of British Art
Tate Britain, LONDON // Wed 14th Oct 1030-1230
No particular agenda for this one, but I will be in London and would love some company as I explore this free collection of British art, and perhaps have a cuppa too. Tate Britain is a great place to spend two hours, and to get a sense of British culture, history and identity over time, via the art of JMW Turner, Francis Bacon, William Blake and others.
A Brief History of Anxiety, Technology & The Future
The National Gallery, LONDON // Fri 13th Nov 1830-2000
The threat of artificial intelligence may be new, but anxiety about emerging technology and the end of the world is not. Come to the National Gallery on Friday 13th and I’ll show you how new technology, and our fears about it, have been appearing in great works of art, and shaping us humans, for a good long while.
The Word Made Paint
ONLINE // Wed 9 Dec 1900-2030
This talk has been described as a “captivating”, “entrancing” and “fascinating visual journey through art, history and the story of Jesus”. I’ve delivered it in-person a few times, but never online, until now. Come and learn not only about a former carpenter from a backwater town on the fringes of the Roman Empire, but also black holes, the Russian language, Scottish stereotypes, and more. ‘Tis the season.
How A Changing Climate Changes Us
ONLINE // Wed 13 Jan 1900-2000
Drawing on an article I wrote about “the finest painter and fastest skater of the Little Ice Age”. I will talk about some of the wacky and wonderful paintings of the spellbinding Pieter Bruegel, and share stories of a record-breaking ancestor of mine. Together they show how a rapid change in climate transformed people’s lives in the past, but they may also hint at how we might change in the years to come too.
Booking link coming soon
“Jake’s insights are fascinating & original. They give me new insights into the wonders of art & faith.”
TED
PEOPLE SAY NICE THINGS, LOOK
“Your talk was so inspiring! I gained new ways of seeing and understanding."
ISABELLE
“I hadn’t been to anything like this before. I absolutely loved it. It opened my mind.”
ELEANOR
“Your blogs are both inspirational and insightful. Looking forward to the next ones!”
A SUBSCRIBER
“Your talk changed the way I look at art.”
JACQUI
“My imagination was really sparked by this talk — I keep thinking about it."
JOSH
“Very powerful. It's such an engaging way to explore faith & story, and I love the way you also integrated contemporary stories.”
CAROLINE