Tuesday 24 June 2025: Visit to Canada Water, 21 Surrey Quays Road, London SE16 7AR

On Tuesday 24 June  we are going to visit Canada Water, near Rotherhithe and one of our rare ventures south of the river.  Canada Water is a former dock which has been redeveloped recently, and in particular has had incorporated an area of wetland and a striking lacquer-red footbridge which winds around one side of the dock amongst the reeds.  There are water views, hopefully some wildlife (swans), various ultra modern blocks visible across the water.  See images: here     Round the back on Surrey Quay Road there is the old Victorian Dock Office, complete with turret, now operating as the Canada Water Project Hub.  See images here:    The most prominent, if not actually attractive, new building fronting the water is the new Library, a startling wedge-shaped building (which looks rather like a ship), see image  here:

The Library is very close to Canada Water Underground Station (on the Jubilee tube and the Windrush line of the Overground), and we suggest that we meet as usual at 11 o'clock on the waterfront side of the Library, outside.   

The Library has all facilities, including a cafe, and also upstairs windows overlooking the water, from which it may be possible to sketch (the London Urban sketchers did so).

For outdoor artwork, there is an area with steps and seating on the waterside opposite the Library, accessible via the Boardwalk.  Good views of the red Boardwalk against green reeds etc.  The building behind this seating area contains a food hall (Corner Corner, apparently) and has a roofing overhang for shelter during rain.  

We suggest you bring your sketching stool, and plenty of red paint/crayons!

Sue's telephone number for the day is 07975 864 142.

     

Our visit to Leadenhall Market

It was a sunny May Day when a large group of us (over 20) made our way to Leadenhall Market, which is an amazing Victorian era market in the City, now a venue for shops, cafes City workers and tourists. On the day we were there it was very noisy due to building works, so some people went to nearby Finsbury Square which was quieter. Others stopped off and drew the amazing City buildings before they even got to Leadenhall Market. But many artists persisted and did some good work. And eventually the noise stopped.

Due to the historic significance of the original site of a Roman Market there were quite a few tour groups, including several of European school students. 

Our next outing is to Canada Water on 24th June. More info to follow.

Pictures below the artist's name

Ruijin Hu

Diana Marshall

Betty Wang

Janet Perkins

Sue Lees

Steve Betts

Gill Steiner

Tricia Sharpe

 

Michelle Cowen

 

Gafung Wong

Diane Umemoto

 

Avis Dennis

Three below from Audrey Rapier

Priscilla Worley

Do Burgess

Janet Payne

Peter Colley

David Gilbert

Leadenhall Market Tuesday 20th May

Meet at the Bishopsgate entrance to Leadenhall Market at 11 am on Tuesday 20th May.

Leadenhall Market is a covered market dating back to Roman times when the Forum was on this site. It was redesigned by architect Horace Jones in the nineteenth century as the market had become too unruly and because it is very near the City, London's financial capital, it had become bad for business. The arches are spectacular and echo those of Smithfield Market, designed by the same architect.

Leadenhall Market was used to film Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter films as it has an other worldly magical atmosphere.

Today it is bustling with cafes and shops and at lunchtime City workers.

The address is Gracechurch St, London EC3V 1LT and the nearest tube is Bank. We last went there some years ago.

Meanwhile as most of you know, after some ten years, Janet is stepping down from her role as joint organiser in September. If you would like to become a joint organiser or even take over some of the duties, please contact Janet or Sue for more information. You do not have to be a member of Islington Art Society to be a joint organiser, in fact one of the many perks is free membership of IAS.

Visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum's Cast Courts: Tuesday 8 April 2025

16 sketchers laden with dry materials (including ipads, pre-prepared paper, etc.,)  in accordance with the regulations, went to the V and A's Cast Courts.  It was an astonishing experience for those of us who had somehow not previously visited the Cast Courts to sit in peace and quiet amongst clusters of  beautiful Roman, medieval and renaissance sculptures and architecture, exact copies of the originals.   Most of the casts were made in the late nineteenth century, when the complicated casting methods had been developed and museums across Europe were keen to inform their citizens of high, mainly European, culture.  Due to changing fashions in museum display, the V and A is almost the only museum to have kept its replica exhibition, which is a sadness.  For our sketching purposes, the casts are fantastic and are indistinguishable from the originals (which in some cases have been destroyed or damaged or are a long journey away and likely to be surrounded by crowds or railings. 

We were also able to get two tables for lunch in the V and A's principal decorated cafe, a delight, and such a refreshing change from the international airport lounge style of interior decor.

Please enjoy our images.   Some colour was added at home.

 

Image above by Do Burgess

 

Image above by Priscilla Worley

 

Two images above by Gafung Wong

 

Image above by Sue Loder

 

Two images above by Diane Umemoto

 

Image above by Priscilla Worley

 

Image above by Avis Dennis

 

 

Image above by Tricia Sharpe

 

 

Two images above by Janet Payne

Image above by Gill Steiner

 

Image above by Peter Colley

 

Image above by Steve Betts

 

Image above by Janet Perkins

 

Image above by Ann Funston

 

                                                     Two images above by Sue Lees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit to the V&A, Tuesday 8th April 2025

 

On Tuesday 8 April we will visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, and more particularly, the Cast Courts.   These are filled with wonderful and accurate plaster casts of gorgeous historic sculptures and fragments (large, in some cases) of carved architecture.   The red Cast Court has a nice combination of dark statuary against light sculpture, and the pinky red walls are very pleasing.   There are a number of large parts of carvings from European cathedrals, and one would never get so close up with the real thing. The Green Cast Court has smaller items, including Michelangelo’s David  (who is not small).  There are many opportunities for artists to practise their nudes and the models will not move.   The Cast Courts are relatively unvisited, so do provide a peaceful drawing opportunity.   Many of the exhibits may not be known to everyone, and it is a fabulous experience to sit so close to very beautiful sculpture work.   More details here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/cast-collection?srsltid=AfmBOooRDPaJnxScIT6XjwzMHVzkEr2xkoLxN2ZKwfIC0JfnAqG5uGsj

 

The V and A only permit dry materials to be used.   Crayons, charcoal, conte (sanguine is nice), dry pens, markers, there are a lot of possibilities.  You may want to bring pre-prepared paper, or coloured paper.   Stools are available, but need to be looked for and then hung onto, as there is much demand for them. 

Meet at 11am actually in the red Cast Court. The nearest underground is South Kensington, Piccadilly and District and Circle lines.

Meanwhile the market manager for Brixton Village has asked that we allow them to share our images on their social media. If you don't want your picture included please let me (janetat48ock@hotmail.com) know by next Sunday 6th April, otherwise we will respond positively to Brixton Village. How nice that they liked the images.

Our Outing to Brixton Market

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Brixton market, now known as Brixton Village. What a cornucopia of delight we found in this covered market. There are many independent shops with goods from all over the world. Such lovely displays and so much to see and draw. There were wonderful coloured paper lanterns hanging from the roof, which several artists included in their pictures. A lovely day and we didn't get too cold.

We had lunch in a delightful Nepalese (or was it?) restaurant with fiery dumplings.

Our next outing is to the V&A on Tuesday 8th April. More to follow.

Below are some of our efforts from Brixton.

From Tricia Sharpe

From Peter Colley

From Janet Perkins

From Gill Steiner

From Do Burgess

From Sue Lees

From Phoenix Wong

From Priscilla Worley

From Janet Payne

Visit to Brixton Market on Tuesday 18th March

Meet at the exit to Brixton Underground Station at 11am. Brixton Station is on the Victoria line and is accessible from Finsbury Park and Highbury and Islington. Brixton Market, which has reinvented itself as Brixton Village, is a lively and diverse venue full of small stalls selling exciting merchandise. Not the usual High Street chains.

The bit of that enormous market area which is prettiest calls itself Brixton Village Market. 

The market itself is under cover so will be rain proof and a bit warmer than outside! There are plenty of eateries and coffee shops. Bring a sketching stool and a warm jacket.

The market is very old established and Electric Avenue is the adjacent street with its coloured Victorian arches and canopies.

We last went there in the autumn of 2023.   

Below is Sue Lees's picture from our last visit

Below is a picture that Christine Khwaja did at the Queen's in Crouch End on our last visit.