Nine artists came on our first visit to Leadenhall Market, in the City of London.   Most of us had never been to it before.   We were charmed by its late Victorian splendour, and more practically, by the wide availability of tables and chairs, and the general lack of crowds due the timing of our visit early in the week, and having hit half-term by accident.

Several of us  focused on the decorative features of the Market, the very splendid City of London dragons, and the flower bas-reliefs (one person embarking on collage, helped by the convenience of a secluded cafe table).  Others were interested in the monumental architecture immediately outside the Market, including the contrast with the Market itself.   Everyone else got to grips with the ultra-complicated main structure. 

We enjoyed ourselves very much, and had a fairly private lunch upstairs in The Grapes pub, a real unreconstructed City watering hole, which Sherlock Holmes himself might  have visited.   Leadenhall Market is another place to return to in wet but not cold weather as it is "delightfully airy" as Edward Lear would have put it.  There are other subjects to paint in this Market, including the flower stall, and people in and around the many restaurants, so we will be putting Leadenhall onto our revisit list.

October Sketch Date: Tuesday 23rd October, at Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch Street London EC3V 1LT

On our next sketching day we will be going to Leadenhall Market, Gracechurch Street, in the City.   This new venue offers cover against rain, as well as monumental Victorian ironmongery, glass and arches. Parts of the market also featured in the Harry Potter films, so yet again there are possibilities for fantasy art.   More details and a map here:

 

We will meet at 11 o’clock under the Central glass roof lantern.  This links the various covered roads and passages, principally Central Avenue which runs from the Gracechurch Street entrance. 

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We suggest you bring sketching stools as all the seats will be associated with cafes/restaurants.

Nearest Underground/DLR Stations: Monument (4 minute walk), Bank (5 minute walk), Cannon Street (7 minute walk), Aldgate (9 minute walk), Liverpool Street (9 minute walk)   Please don’t go to the Leadenhall Building nearby, because that is a different temple to mammon and not the  market building.

Sue’s phone number for the day is 07975 864142.   We look forward to seeing you all.

Sketch Day at St Dunstan in the East, 25 September 2018

Eight artists assembled on a beautiful sunny day to try to do justice to the stunning St Dunstan in the East.   This wonderful church ruin in a garden in the City was new to all of us.   Actually, what was left of the church was in very good shape, as all the glassless windows had all their masonry present and there were none of those shapeless lumps of brick and rubble frequently found in even the most prestigious ruins.   The City of London Parks and Gardens staff have created a very lovely and appropriate garden, with lots of well-chosen plants.   The most notable of these were the canna lilies, which some of us took inspiration from, but there were other choice specimens, in particular a large palm, which when viewed through the medieval arch suggested crusaders and pilgrims arriving in Jerusalem (a flight of fancy here ...).   There were huge and special vines climbing over some of the walls, and unusual big trees, all of which created a very romantic effect amongst the gothic arches...  Much food for thought here.  We also enjoyed the very eclectic visitors to the site, some of whom got included in the artwork.

We very much appreciate the City of London Parks and Gardens Department kindly allowing us to come and sketch as a group on a guest basis.   We hope for another visit to this superb location in the future.

Art in the Park Display at Cass Art, Colebrooke Row, Islington N1 Thursday 27 September - Sunday 30 September

Art in the Park are holding our first exhibition!   Seven regular Art in the Park attendees have made up some A1 mountboards of their work, either originals or prints, and put up a display in the exhibition space at Cass Art, 66-67 Colebrooke Row, Islington, N1 8AB.   Some of the images are from our Art in the Park outings (certain locations are repeated by different people), some are from other plein air days or life drawing sessions.   One or two are prints developed from onsite sketches.  Our pictures will be viewable during Cass opening hours until Sunday 30 September (Cass is open till early evening, Sundays noon till 6pm.   A few are actually for sale!

Please come and have a look, as these photos are too small to do the artists any justice.   In their different ways, all the artworks show the zest and energy which plein air activity gives to an artist's output - all our Art in the Park participants, both those in the exhibition and those who are not showing work on this occasion, find themselves energised by going out with others and a sketchbook.   Maybe we should go out twice a month!

Ann Kowlowski-Hunt's board

Janet Perkins' board

Mark Hodge's boards

Tricia Sharpe's boards

Janet Payne's boards

Priscilla Worley's board

Sue Lees' board

Tuesday 25 September: St Dunstan in the East, St Dunstan's Hill, London EC3R 5DD

On Tuesday 25 September we have decided to go to the ruined church of St Dunstan in the East, in the City, which has been turned into a public garden within the walls of this bombed church.  The City of London's City-Gardens department has very kindly given us permission to sketch there as a group.    (They have also expressed interest in seeing our results!)  This is the opportunity to release your inner gothic leanings, with beautiful arched tracery windows beset about by trailing greenery.    More details, images, and map are here:

We will meet as usual at 11 o'clock inside the church walls.   Please bring your sketching stools (and possibly umbrellas), as although there are benches they may not be where your art requires them to be, also other members of the public may wish to use them.   We will need to go out at lunchtime to find a cafe and a loo.   There are no loos available in the garden.   We can then return in the afternoon and continue sketching.   If it is wet, and we cannot find any cover we will go up to the Leadenhall market (Gracechurch St, EC3V 1LT),  which is in any case a proposed winter destination for Art in the Park.    Details are here:


The nearest tube stations are Monument and Tower Hill you can enter at Idol Lane or St Dunstan’s Hill.   Additional details are here:

We look forward to seeing everyone.  Sue's telephone number for the day is: 07975 864142