An autumn visit to the Geffrye museum

The Geffrye museum was built as almshouses and is now the Museum of the Home

A view from the herb garden

Seven artists from Art in the Park gathered at the Geffrye Museum for October's sketching outing. We were blessed with glorious weather and we spread ourselves out around the gardens, the café and at the front of the property where we could attempt to do justice to the long, imposing facade of these former 18th century almshouses while, at the same time, enjoying the sun.

We eventually all gravitated to the café where we took the opportunity to chat with each other and look at each others work. The café was full to bursting with parents and young children, this being half-term holiday week.

The galleries were also full of young kids being encouraged to look at how people lived in previous centuries and somewhere in the building they had enjoyed a workshop where they made wreaths from fallen leaves.

The Last Hug by Meital Tzabari

On our way out we observed some artwork in the garden that had been installed while we had been labouring away. There were three figures made from leaves embracing a couple of the trees. Titled 'The Last Hug' they were made by Meital Tzabari 'as a seasonal public sculpture'. While they look as though they have emerged from the fallen leaves on the ground these figures are cleverly held together with wire and their creator, Meital, told me that they could survive for as long as three weeks.

Interior and exterior views

We all seemed to have got a lot from our visit to this fascinating museum and will doubtless return for another visit in the future.

Visit to the Geffrye museum 27 October

Our next Art in the Park sketching outing will be to the Geffrye museum, that explores the home from 1600 to the present day, on Tuesday 27 October which is during half-term week. We have been advised by the museum staff that the museum will be very busy that day so we will have to work around the other visitors. Entrance is free but they welcome a donation of £3.

We are welcome to work in the café and, if the weather is fine, outside in the period gardens at the back plus the garden at the front of the building. The museum is set in a fine grade 1 listed, 18th century almshouse building which is a beautiful subject for sketching. We cannot work in the period galleries inside the museum as there is very little room to spread out and the exhibits are precious.

We plan to meet at 11am and the address is: 136 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA. The nearest overground station is Hoxton and bus routes for numbers 67, 149, 242, 243, 394 travel along Kingsland Road.