Art in the Park

Saturday, 30 May 2026

Tuesday 30 June: Visit to Finsbury Circus Gardens, London EC2M 7DT

On Tuesday 30 June we will make our first sketching visit to Finsbury Circus, IN THE CITY, (not Finsbury Park!) which has recently been restored as a public garden following many years as a building site for an access shaft to the Elizabeth Line. Happily the large old trees were kept, including a Japanese Pagoda Tree which we may or may not be able to identify. The garden has been carefully replanted, and there is a bandstand and one or two other small buildings. The crescent surrounding the garden is very handsome, and some of these have some statuary. Hopefully the garden will be looking gorgeous in June. Two images below, taken late last summer.

More details and images can be found here:

We will meet at 11 o'clock around the little structure above. The garden is not very big, so it will be easy to find people.

Finsbury Circus is about two minutes' walk from Moorgate tube station and Liverpool Street Station. There is apparently planting in the passage linking Moorgate to the garden. Please see map below:

Many buses will pass close by.

There is quite a lot of shade, we will have to take a chance on any heatwave, and also a tube strike. Neither of these are currently planned or predicted yet. However, it looks like being a hot summer. We think that the nearest loos are in Liverpool Street Station. We also think that a picnic lunch together would be enjoyable, so please bring something to eat. Also lots of drinking water. Coffees and teas can be bought at Liverpool Street Station. We suggest you bring stools as the seats will fill up with city workers, also sunshades.

Sue's telephone number for the day will be 07975 864142.

Sunday, 24 May 2026

Art in the Park: National Portrait Gallery, 19 May 2026

The day was dull and grey when we met by Sir Henry Irving’s statue outside the National Portrait Gallery. Some artists were optimistic and prepared to site their stools in puddles. Others went inside to the Gallery. In fact the morning turned out to offer a lovely, sunny Spring start to the day, with showers only in the afternoon.

The NPG was busy but not too crowded. The revised hang means that there are now unexpected treats.

A few artists went to Chinatown for lunch to sample noodles.

The images reflect these two very different settings. Street views around the location and versions of portraits – some experimental – drawn from inside the gallery.

Janet Payne

Ruijun Hu

Gill Steiner

Priscilla Worley

Chris Baker

Maggie Pettigrew

Tricia Sharpe

Maureen Bocking

Maggie Pettigrew

Tricia Sharpe

Diane Umemoto

Sue Lees

Do Burgess

Cathy Burkinshaw

Diana Butement

Priscilla Worley

Cathy Burkinshaw

Tuesday, 21 April 2026

Tuesday 19 May: St Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE/Irving Street

Update (on 18 May): the tube strike called for tomorrow has been cancelled! So hopefully no one will have travel problems.

The weather according to the Met Office is going to be dry between 11am and Ipm. That would just do for us. Bring your umbrella in case.

See you tomorrow, Sue

On Tuesday, 19 May, we are going to sketch outside the National Portrait Gallery on the triangle of public space just to the north of the Gallery. It is paved, has a few trees, a kiosk (selling coffee and cake), and views across the main road to various theatres. Also people walking and sitting, and shops. Some of us could also go down St Martin's Lane towards the statue of Edith Cavell and take the view of St Martin-in-the-Fields, or look down towards Leicester Square or Chinatown. Quite a lot of possibilities immediately around.

We will meet at 11 o'clock around the statue in the photo above, this is Henry Irvine. There are loos in the Gallery, but we probably will have lunch in one of the cafes nearby as the Gallery will only take in trolleys if they are put in the cloakroom for which they charge a fee. If it is rainy, we can draw in the NPG, but dry materials only, and no charcoal, pastels, or permanent markers are allowed. They have stools. Please have a look at the weather forecast to decide whether we will be inside or out, as this affects what kit you bring.

If the weather is good, and you are going to be outside, please bring your sketching stool. We think that the trees will give us shade.

The Cass Art shop is just up the road. The nearest tube station is Leicester Square, also v close, and it is also close to many bus routes.

Looking forward to seeing many of you then. Sue's mobile number for the day is: 07975 864142.

Saturday, 18 April 2026

Visit to the Scooter Caffe and Lower Marsh, Waterloo on Tuesday 14 April 2026

Seventeen artists made their way to the Lower Marsh Road behind Waterloo Station, and the Scooter Cafe on the 14th April. It was a bright sunny day and the majority decided to stay outside and sketch the many fascinating aspects of the road, which is charmingly unreconstructed by developers. A few, however, spent the day in the dark interior of the equally enticing Scooter Caffe, mainly sketching the antique Lambretta, (or possibly it was a Vespa), and consuming the specialty coffees and hot chocolates on offer.

We had lunch outside on the street tables, but had it been wet there were many cafes offering food. A pedestrianised street, we enjoyed the largely total absence of traffic. Lower Marsh offers much for the artist, from graffiti, painted buildings, market stalls, people, as well as the eclectically decorated Scooter Caffe, as far removed from international airport lounge decor as it is possible to be. Altogether a location to return to in the future.

Please enjoy our artwork.