Art in the Park: August 2021

Saturday, 28 August 2021

Next Dates: Wednesday 1st September AND Tuesday 21st September

Wednesday 1st September: Dalston Easton Curve Garden: please see earlier blog for details of this (below images of St Mary Abchurch visit).

Following date: Tuesday 21st September: Highgate Cemetery East, Swain's Lane, Highgate, London N6 6PJ, just south of Waterlow Park.

We will meet at the booking office of Highgate Cemetery just off Swain's Lane at 11 o'clock. There is an entrance ticket which costs around £5. However, this ticket can be reused for one month, and can be offset against a subsequent ticket bought for the Western Highgate Cemetery which, subject to discussion, we hope to visit in October.

Full details of the Eastern Cemetery can be found here:

The Eastern Cemetery is particularly beautiful in sunshine, when light slants through its many trees. It has a good selection of angels and other statuary, and on its higher slopes gives a general impression of an Italian arcadia. Its most notable resident is Karl Marx.

It also has maintenance staff around and about and is a very safe environment for the isolated female artist.

Please note that the easiest way to get to Highgate Cemetery from Islington (and other northerly and eastern directions) is to get to Lauderdale House on Highgate Hill, and walk across Waterlow Park. At the time of writing Highgate Hill is closed for water works, but hopefully this will be finished by the 21st.

It has a loo, but the nearest lunch establishment is the Lauderdale House cafe up in Waterlow Park, and we are going to suggest that people bring a picnic lunch. We doubt that the Cemetery guardians will like picnics so it will be best to nip next door into the bottom of Waterlow Park and gather there for lunch.

Also bring your sketching stool and an umbrella.

We look forward to seeing everyone. Sue's telephone number for the day is 07975 864142

Saturday, 21 August 2021

Another pic from St Mary Abchurch

And from Tessa Clarke

Thursday, 19 August 2021

More from St Mary Abchurch

Just arrived from Janet Perkins, two more pictures from our day at St Mary Abchurch.

Worth the wait:

Monday, 16 August 2021

St Mary Abchurch

16 artists made their way to St Mary Abchurch, in the City. The day was not too hot or even too wet.

This glorious Wren church boasts a reredos by the master carver Grinling Gibbons and a domed ceiling, which was apparently a dry run for St Paul's but on a smaller scale. There is a pitched roof rather than a dome covering the ceiling so the dome is not apparent from the outside.

In the church there was an exhibition of woodcarving entitled "Art and Ornament", celebrating Grinling Gibbons. This was much enjoyed by the artists and Hugh Wedderburn, one of the exhibitors, was giving a wood carving demonstration and answering questions.

At 12:30 prompt Ian Shaw gave an organ recital flooding the church with music. We were allowed to carry on drawing during the recital and there is a portrait of the organist below. So it is surprising that we got any work done amidst all the excitement, but we did.

We ate sandwiches on the benches in the courtyard outside the church for lunch.

Work includes the interior and the exterior of the church. It was difficult to get a long view of the church because of the built up nature of the surroundings but some artists braved the narrow alley and through traffic to produce images of the outside of this amazing church.

From

Sue Lees

Priscilla Worley

the organist

Helen Fuggle

Grinling Gibbons detail

Janet Payne

From Gill Steiner

From Alison Sandifer

Daniel Lloyd-Morgan

From Tricia Sharpe

and two bonus pics from Diane Butement from St Augustine's Tower, Hackney

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden: WEDNESDAY 1st September

On WEDNESDAY 1st September we will be visiting the locally renowned Dalston Eastern Curve Garden. The address is: 13 Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8 1FA, and the approach is via a square containing various murals just off Dalston Lane.

The garden management has very kindly allowed us to come in during the morning, which is reserved for community groups. We very much appreciate this.

We will meet at 11 in the Garden, as usual.
The address is: 13 Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8 1FA, and the approach is via a square containing various murals just off Dalston Lane.

The Garden is two minutes' walk from Dalston Junction Overground and about five minutes walk from Dalston Kingsland Overground stations.

Buses 30, 38, 56, 242 and 277 stop just outside the Garden and 67, 76, 149 and 243 all stop on nearby Kingsland High Street.

There are bike racks outside the Garden.

There is a cafe within the Garden, and loos.

There is a short video about the Garden within this link:

As always we recommend that you bring your sketching stools and an umbrella if the weather looks dicey.

Sue's telephone number for the day is: 07975 864142. We are looking forward to another happy painting day in this lovely urban garden sanctuary.

Sunday, 1 August 2021

St Augustine's Tower, Mare Street, Hackney

On summer's day that felt more like October, 10 artists met outside the tower of St Augustine's, Hackney at the top of Mare Street. We were some regulars and some newcomers, always welcome. One artist worked from home.

Originally a graveyard, the gardens around the church tower proved a source of inspiration. This was a contrast with the hustle and bustle of Mare Street and Narrow Street, with their shops and market stalls.

The main church, St. John at Hackney loomed over the gardens like a squatting giant, but was unfortunately closed. There was a walled garden with a children's play area and jets of water springing up from the ground.

The rain held off until lunchtime when we were fortunately seated outside a vegan restaurant with an awning, so we stayed largely dry.

Don't forget St Mary Abchurch, 11 am Tuesday 10 August.

Sue Lees

St Augustine's Tower, Churchyard