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	Maureen Bocking
Maureen Bocking
Maggie Pettigrew	Tricia Sharpe
Diane Umemoto
Sue Lees
Do Burgess	Cathy Burkinshaw
Diana Butement
Priscilla Worley	Cathy Burkinshaw

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.

 

 

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.

Image above by Janet Payne

Image above by Do Burgess

Image above by Peter Colley

Image above by Priscilla Worley

Image above by William Hicks 

Image above by Janet Perkins

Image above by Elaine Kleinen

Image above by William Hicks 

Image above by Do Burgess

Two images above by Cathy Burkinshaw

Image above by Gill Steiner 

Image above by Michelle Cowan

Two images above by Gafung Wong

Image above by Betty Wang

Three images above by Diana Butement 

Two images above by Sue Lees

Two images above by Michael Hill 

Image above by Diane Umemoto

Image above by Sara Meidan

 

Art in the Park: Tuesday 10 March 2026

Covent Garden

The plan was to use the Royal Opera House as a venue but as it doesn’t open til 12.00 pm some of the group started at 11.00 am in the Covent Garden market area. It was a fine day but with an edge to the wind so most of us sat at tables in the Lower Ground courtyard where it was more sheltered. We drew to the sound of a busking string ensemble and a distant magician.

At 12.00 most migrated to the Royal Opera House where other colleagues were making a start. The images give a sense of the ‘Floral Hall’ with its wonderful window and light, of the costumes and masks that are placed around the shop and the café and of the view down from the top balcony.

We had lunch in the ROH café – a lovely bright space with long tables. Surprisingly busy.

 

Diane Umemoto
Sue Lees	Gafung Wong
Cathy Burkinshaw
Tricia Sharpe
Janet Payne
Diane Umemoto	Peter Colley
Betty Wang
Do Burgess	Cathy Burkinshaw
Audrey Rapier	Sue Lees
Diane Umemoto	Audrey Rapier
Gafung Wong	Gafung Wong
Janet Perkins