New Year's outing on Tuesday 3 January 2017

The first outing of 2017 is on Tuesday 3 January to the Museum of London near the Barbican. We'll meet at 11am at the main entrance by the turnstiles: the museum is free in spite of the turnstiles. There are paying exhibitions as well as the free permanent collection: at present there is an exhibition on the Great Fire of London.

Usually we spread out at this venue and it is dark in places, so we may be difficult to find, if you miss us at the entrance. We will meet again at 1pm for lunch downstairs at the Benugo Sackler Hall cafe in the modern galleries. My (Janet) number for the day is 07815 772857.

The Museum's website is here and it has a 'plan your visit' and 'how to get there section'.

Winter outing to Fenchurch Street station

Nine IAS members and guests met at Fenchurch Street station on a freezing cold day. The station facade was aglow with winter sun, the last showing of autumnal colours in the trees and a winter food market. Most artists braved the cold and sat outside in the forecourt on the seats especially provided until the sun departed when we repaired to a North African hot food cafe. Some stunning results and worth the risk of hypothermia. The Caffe Nero meeting point unfortunately proved difficult to locate, but artists persevered and we all met up eventually.

The next outing will be in January to the Museum of London. The date and meeting details will go on the blog shortly.

Next sketching outing is on Tuesday 29 November

The November outing is to Fenchurch Street station on Tuesday 29 November at 11 am. All the excitement of a London Terminal. There is now a pedestrian precinct outside the station, which has a stunning facade but this could be a bit cold. Plenty of coffee shops inside the station but you may want to bring a sketching stool. Meet inside the station by Caffe Nero at 11am and then choose your spot. Janet's number for the day is 07815 772857.

Art in the Park visits Hoxton

Seven Art in the Park enthusiasts arrived at the Hoxton Overground Station on Tuesday 25 October on a grey but dry day. The views of the railway tracks with Canary Wharf in the background appealed strongly to some of us, while an old VW Camper Van and an old garage with an automobile mural and lots of notices spoke to others. Also, as before, the elegancies of the Geffreye Museum facade close by drew one artist's attention.

We felt that we had a good morning when we collected in the Geffreye Museum's cafe for coffee and lunch and talked outdoor painting against the background hubbub.

Our next sketch-day will be to Fenchurch Street Station, details to follow shortly.

Our next outing is to Hoxton on Tuesday 25 October

Our October Art in the Park outing is to Hoxton and the Geffrye Museum. We will meet at 11 am on Tuesday 25 October in the alley (Geffrye Street) at the back of the Geffrye Museum, next to Hoxton overground station. The plan is to draw the workshops in the railway arches or the view from the upper levels of the station. If cold or wet we have the opportunity of drawing inside the Geffrye museum, where there are lavatories and a café. There are also coffee shops and a bar/café/restaurant directly adjacent to the entrance to Hoxton Overground Station. This is Caffeine Central after all.

Information about the Geffrye museum can be found here. The website also includes directions for how to get there. Janet's mobile for the day is 07815 772857 and Sue's mobile is 07975 864142.

September's outing to the pergola at Inverforth House

The September Art in the Park outing was to Inverforth House with its magnificent pergola. Inverforth House is on the edge of Golders Hill Park and tucked away behind trees. The garden is open to the public and it is one of London's lesser known gems, in an amazing setting with incredible planting. The pergola offered some challenging perspective, offset by the pre-autumnal vegetation.

The day started off by being rather wet, but five valiant artists either found cover or worked under umbrellas to produce some good work. We were rewarded eventually by brighter skies and lunch outside in the café in Golders Hill Park.

Art in the Park will be moving to settings with more cover as autumn sets in. Our next outing is to Hoxton and the Geffrye museum. There will be inside and outside options with possibilities for sketching the workshops under the railway arches. The date and details of the October outing will be posted on the blog shortly.

Sketching outing to Golders Hill Garden on 29 September

The September Art in the Park outing is to the Golders Hill Garden and Pergola on Thursday 29 September 2016 at 11am.

The Pergola is on the West Heath adjacent to Golders Hill Park, the nearest underground stations are Golders Green and Hampstead. The 216 and 268 buses run along North End Road. The Pergola  is in the grounds of Inverforth House which dates originally from the late eighteenth century and was substantially altered by Lord Leverhulme. It is privately owned but the gardens and Pergola are open to all. The location is stunning.

There is a café in Golders Hill Park and the Bull and Bush pub is nearby. There is some cover under the Pergola but come prepared if the weather looks bad as this is an outdoor location. It is always a good idea to bring sketching stools.

A map can be downloaded here.

An August visit to Abney Park cemetery

The last Tuesday in August saw nine artists, IAS members and friends, sketching in Abney Park cemetery. We had a lovely sunny day with plenty of deep shadows, luxuriant undergrowth and mature trees, where Victorian monuments lurked. There were plenty of angels and even a lion. The disused chapel was being renovated and was unfortunately covered in hoardings and scaffold but there were plenty of other subjects to grab our attention. The quiet of the cemetery was disturbed for a bit by a persistent overhead helicopter, but it was fortunately not looking for artists.

We had lunch in a trendy new café on Stoke Newington Church Street where we compared work and encouraged each other. And very importantly no-one got lost in this maze of a cemetery. Watch this blog spot for details of the next outing in September.

Next meet up is on Tuesday 30 August

Our next sketching outing is on Tuesday 30 August at 11am at Abney Park, Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 0LH. We are meeting at the main entrance with the Egyptian gates.

Abney Park in Stoke Newington, one of the ‘magnificent seven’ garden cemeteries of London, is a woodland memorial park and Local Nature Reserve. There are many interesting memorials, especially some featuring angels, and there is an atmospheric, ruined chapel in the centre. General Booth of Salvation Army fame is probably the most famous person buried there.

At this time of year the cemetery is particularly bosky and overgrown, so if you can't find us call my mobile on: 07815 772857, for use on the day only please. Buses serving Abney Park include the 67, 76, 106, 149, 476, 393 and 243. The 106 goes from Finsbury Park Station. Stoke Newington overground is very close. 

The informative website can be found here. There are plenty of cafés in Stoke Newington Church Street and even some on the High Street. There are not many benches in the cemetery so we advise you to bring a sketching stool.

Sketching on the hottest day of summer

The July outing for Art in the Park took us to Newington Green on a very hot day. Four artists, two Islington Art Society members plus two guests found a shady place under the huge plane trees and worked away. Unfortunately the café in the park had suffered a power cut, nothing to do with us, but we found a very pleasant alternative nearby for lunch where we sat in the garden.

Newington Green has a distinguished past with links to the Dissenters and Mary Wollstonecraft, and also boasts the oldest surviving terraced housing in London. It is currently a pleasant square with ample seating, a children's play area and of course plenty to draw.

Our next outing will be to Abney Park Cemetery in Stoke Newington. Watch this blog for the next date.

Our July outing is to Newington Green on Tuesday 19th

The next Art in the Park outing will be to Newington Green on Tuesday 19 July. We are meeting there from 11am in the café on the Green itself. Newington Green has a fascinating history, several Listed Buildings, a Unitarian chapel, the old facade of the China Inland Mission and also London's oldest surviving brick terrace.

The Green itself was revitalised a few years ago and is a pleasant area with seats, a café and paying loo, planting and a children's playground. There are many cafés and pubs nearby.

Newington Green is served by the 73, 476, 21, 141 and 341 buses. The 236 runs from Finsbury Park station but is not the fastest bus that London Transport runs. Canonbury Station on the overground is close by.

Hope to see as many of you as possible there.

The New River Path: a tranquil haven in the middle of Islington

Six IAS members and their guests decided that it was going to be outdoors sketching weather despite all appearances to the contrary, and met up at the New River Path in Islington. Fortunately the weather was kind to us and we were rewarded with excellent reflections in the water from the greenery surrounding the New River, a turtle and ducks' nests on straw bales watched closely by a frustrated fox cub who didn't want to get his feet wet.

There was bosky planting, Georgian cottages and of course the Marquess Tavern, where we could sit outside for coffee and lunch. We finally located the bird bath shown in the photo montage above dedicated to two members of the Islington Art Circle, the forerunner of IAS. So we were keeping up a great tradition of Islington artists!

The next outing will be to Newington Green, with its Dissenting history and links to Mary Wollstonecraft. The date will be posted on the blog shortly.

Our midsummer sketching outing is on Monday 27 June

Our next outing is to the New River Walk in Islington. Meet outside the Marquess Tavern, 32 Canonbury Street N1 2TB on Monday 27 June at 11am. There are tables outside. 

The Marquess is an ideal starting place for the New River as it is centrally placed. In the summer the New River Walk should be wonderfully bosky with some rather large ducklings. More information on the New River walk can be found on Section 6 of the Thames Water booklet. We are meeting in Section 6.

You can get to the New River (or rather our meeting place, the Marquess Tavern) from Highbury and Islington Station, from Essex Road or Upper Street buses, or Essex Road Station. The 271 bus is particularly helpful as it goes along Archway Road from Highgate with a stop in Canonbury Road, a very short walk away from the Marquess.

Bring sketching stools as seating is limited. The Marquess does serve food but can be expensive as it is a gastro pub, though it does do drinks, coffee and toilets and is still a 'local'. There are other options a short walk away, but bringing sandwiches could be useful. The Marquess opens at 12 noon. Arrive prepared.

An anecdote from Virginia Jackson

"The New River Walk is a most appropriate venue for a sketching outing for members of the Islington Art Society. On 1 June 2003 members attended the installation of the Bunting memorial birdbath placed by the river's edge beside a weeping willow. The memorial carved by John Nash was inscribed "In memory of George and Debbie Bunting, Islington Art Circle 1946-2000". Apparently when the weather changed members retired to The Marquis Tavern to reminisce. There is a black and white photograph taken by Graham Thomas of the memorial on the front of the IAS July 2003 newsletter edited by Lucy Rickards but the area was considerably more overgrown when I last saw it and that was well over a decade ago."

Spring time in a secret garden

On a sunny morning in late May 11 artists met up in Culpeper Community Garden to spend time sketching. This proved a very popular outing for IAS members and their guests. Culpeper Community Garden is near the Angel and Chapel Market, so this is a very easy location to get to and the weather was ideal.

The Garden is lovingly maintained by volunteers and was looking lovely and lush in contrast to the nearby densely urban landscape of inner London. There is a good variety of plants, some vegetables and a lawn where workers from nearby offices were eating their lunchtime sandwiches. We hope to go back later in the year  to capture  a different season in the Gardens. A big thank you to Culpeper.

Our next outing is on Tuesday 24 May at Culpeper Community Garden

Our next sketching outing is on Tuesday 24 May to the Culpeper Community Garden. They will be expecting us from 10:30am but of course we are free to arrive later if we want. Please bring sketching stools as there is very limited seating outside. This is a charming spot close to the Angel tube, Upper Street and Essex Road buses and of course Chapel Market. Either bring sandwiches to eat in the garden or there are plenty of cafés nearby. Mandy, one of the volunteers will be expecting us and there will be people working in the garden.

The address is: Culpeper Community Garden, 1 Cloudesley Road, Islington
London, N1 0EG.

April Art in the Park outing

In April six Islington Art Society members and their guests met at the Museum of London Docklands. There is a fascinating view outside the museum of the West India Quay, various boats and barges, old cranes, tower blocks and the Docklands Light Railway. Several of us worked outside through the morning which turned chilly and became a bit of an endurance test.

Inside the museum there are examples of boats, old dockyard items and a remodelling of the old Sailor Town with full Dickensian atmosphere. We had good fun sketching.

This location is probably better in warm weather as there are many artistic possibilities outside. The museum is free, has a café and facilities. There are more choices for lunch beyond the museum.

The next sketching date is Monday 18 April

April's Art in the Park outing is to the Museum of London Docklands on Monday 18 April. We meet at 11am, but late comers are very welcome. The Museum is best reached by public transport either from West India Quay on the DLR or Canary Wharf on the Jubilee Line. The 277 bus also goes to Canary Wharf from Highbury or Dalston. There are plenty of sketching opportunities, both inside and out and there is a café on the ground floor. Entry to the Museum is free.

Revisiting Alexandra Palace

On a beautiful if cold March day, ten IAS artists and guests went to Alexandra Palace. The view over London from the terrace was stunning as was the Palm Court inside the building, where a café/bar provided us with sustenance. There were surprisingly few people around so we had a choice of seats and subjects and could work undisturbed.

This proved a popular venue, though most people stayed inside because of the cold. We will organise a repeat visit later in the year when the weather warms up to benefit from the terrace and the park. 

The next outing will be to Docklands in April, the date to be confirmed.

Next Outing: Monday 14 March to Alexandra Palace Palm Court

Following a very satisfactory sketching visit last spring to Alexandra Palace, we have decided to revisit this splendid interior space on Monday 14 March.

We will assemble at 11am in the Palm Court, which is the Palace’s western entrance hall where we will be able to sketch the palm trees, sphinxes and pyramids under the enormous curved glass roof, as well as any other visitors.

We can also go outside and sketch the spectacular building (if dry), and the southwards panorama of London. 

Refreshments can be bought from the Bar & Kitchen which has full facilities, is interesting enough to paint, and has views from the windows.  The bar has tables in the Palm Court, if we use these we should buy some drinks or food. Otherwise we suggest you bring your sketching stools.

Ally Pally has two car parks, the closest one to the front entrance is in The Grove, (if you are coming from the Crouch End direction turn to the left just after the Garden Centre entrance, and please do not park in the Garden Centre). The other car park is at the far end of the building beside the entrance to the skating rink. We are going on a non-event day so there should be no parking difficulty, no crowds, nor any entrance fee.

Alternatively, various buses go through the park. You can find a map and full travel details here.

We look forward to another companionable sketching day out with IAS artists and their guests.

Revisiting the Barbican

Seven artists met at the Barbican on a sunny February day for a drawing and painting session. We were not the only group of artists there, the Barbican is obviously a popular venue. There were good views of the central courtyard with its pond, the church, St Giles without Cripplegate and the City of London School for Girls.

It was also possible to get views into the spectacular upper level conservatory and the lower level foyers. The Barbican Kitchen provided coffee and lunch, together with a warm base from which to draw the courtyard and allowed the artists to exchange news and ideas around a table.

Our next sketching outing is on Thursday 11 February

The date for the next Art in the Park outing is Thursday 11 February. Having previously enjoyed a sketching day at the Barbican it was decided to make a return visit. We will meet at 11am in the 'Barbican Kitchen' on the ground floor (level 0). There is plenty of seating and the café sells reasonably priced food, or just a coffee. The Kitchen overlooks the outdoor space, City of London School for Girls, the pond and the Church as well as having all the usual café opportunities for sketching, not to mention the foyer itself or from the stairs.

For those who don't know the Barbican, enter on Silk Street and carry on towards the open space on the far side and the Kitchen is on the left, or ask the Barbican staff. Barbican underground station is on the Circle, District and Hammersmith line and Moorgate is on all these plus the Northern Line (City Branch).

Ice skating at Canary Wharf

photo: ©Margaret Cooter

January's Art in the Park outing was to the ice rink at Canary Wharf. We saw and drew schoolchildren wearing 'high vis' jackets pushing other children on sledges, some rather good office workers skating in their lunch hour and some skating novices who had a few bumps. The Christmas lights still sparkled on the trees against the backdrop of the tall buildings surrounding Canada Square.

Our small group of four artists took refuge from the cold weather in The Tasting Room, the pop-up pub that is on site, which proved to be a quiet and friendly location with good views - in fact we doubled their custom. A good day out for the intrepid Art in the Park sketchers.