Visit to Alexandra Palace Tuesday 10 January 2023

Meet at the entrance to the East Court at 11am on Tuesday 10 January 23.

Ally Pally is an entertainments and sports venue. It has spectacular views overlooking London and will need little introduction to most Art in the Parkers. The East Court has been recently renovated and is now open to sketchers and others. There is more information on their website www.alexandrapalace.com. 

Built in 1873 Ally Pally has been a People's Palace and even home to the birth of BBC TV in 1936.  Perched on the top of a hill the red brick building dominates North London.

The ice rink will be open and Ally Pally are happy for us to sketch in the ice rink, though a 'spectator's' pass is required, but this is believed to be free. Ally Pally have suggested we call the outing 'Sketch and Skate', but skating is not compulsory.

The address is Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY. The W3 bus goes from Finsbury Park or Tottenham stations to the Ice Rink or Palm Court. Ally Pally has its own rail station, Alexandra Palace Station. The nearest tube is Wood Green and then take the W3. It is possible to park in the car park, but wise to check beforehand on visitor.services@alexandrapalace.com in case there is an event, but no events are shown in the calendar for 10 January. A £3 donation is suggested. 

The park is also full of sketching opportunities, though as I write the weather is still very cold so maybe we should return in the summer.

There are loos and a cafe.

Janet's number for the day is 07815 772857.

Visit to Marylebone Station on Tuesday 29 November 2022

Eight artists presented themselves at Marylebone Station on rather a raw grey day.  One person took cover in the underground, the remainder mainly concentrated on the Victorian ironwork in the roof of the main station.  As the mainline station is small, we all found that we were including similar features.  Unfortunately it was too dreary to work outside and tackle the glass canopy and exterior of the station.   As usual, there were a great many passengers hovering about and much activity.  

Our sketching trips quite often involve something totally unexpected, and this time one of our artists who lives close by advised us to have lunch in the Rudolph Steiner House.   So we navigated our way to London's first and only Expressionist building (similar to but not the same as Art Nouveau architecture) and had lunch there.  We spent lunch discussing the Rudolph Steiner approach to education and architecture, very interesting.

We have decided that December is too busy a time for a sketch date, so we will arrange two for January. 

Meanwhile, please enjoy looking at our Marylebone results.

 

Image above by Priscilla Worley

Image above by Janet Payne

 Image above by Diane Umemoto

 Image above by Sue Lees

 

Four images above by Audrey Rapier

 Image above by Pam Rigdon

 Image above by Gill Steiner

 And finally, an image by Avis Dennis from our previous expedition to Hays Galleria and the River, Avis looked across the River to St Paul's

 

 

 

    

 

Marylebone Station 29 November 2022

November's outing is to Marylebone Station on Tuesday 29 November meeting at 11 am. Janet's number for the day is 07815 772857. 

Send your pics to janetat48ock@hotmail.com

It would be a good idea to bring a sketching stool to be sure of a good spot. There are plenty of cafes and we will decide on the day whether to have lunch in the station or venture further afield. 

The full address is Great Central House, Melcombe Pl, Marylebone, London NW1 6JJ.

We last visited the Marylebone Station in November 2017.

Tuesday 11 October: visit to Hay's Galleria, Southbank

 A dozen artists came to the Hay's Galleria and Wharf on the South Bank of the Thames on a bright but chilly-in-the shade morning.  Several artists were dazzled by the enormous steam-punk semi-nautical sculpture in the centre of the shopping gallery (The Navigators, by David Kemp, some 60 feet of eclectic metalwork, and if you are lucky you can see the oars moving).  Always the unexpected on Art in the Park's days out!   Others concentrated on the river, with its various eye-catching views, which included the Tower of London, and HMS Belfast (on which your correspondent's father served as a young naval officer in the war aged 18).     An enjoyable lunch was consumed at Wasabi.

As always, a variety of media were used, including collage.  Enjoy!

Our next outing will be on Tuesday 29 November, when we will be returning to Marylebone Station.  Full details will be published nearer the date.

 

 

 Image above by Gill Steiner

 

Image above by Diane Umemoto

 

Image above by Peter Colley

 

Image above by Janet Perkins

Image above by Gafung Wong

Three images above by Audrey Rapier

Image above by Janet Payne

 

Image above by Priscilla Worley

 

Image above by Alison Sandifer

 

 

 

 

Hay's Galleria Tuesday 11 October

Our next outing is to Hay's Galleria which is part of London Bridge City. Meet at 11 am on Tuesday 11 October on the Thames side. The address is Hay's Galleria, 1 Battle Bridge Lane, London SE1 2HD. There are plenty of buses and London Bridge Station is right nearby.

Hay's Galleria is a courtyard, originally old warehouses now covered with a glazed roof. It is adjacent to the Thames Path and is open to the river on one side. The remainder of the courtyard is enclosed, so we will be undercover if it rains and also there is some protection from the October cold. There are riverside views. This is an exciting urban space with opportunities taken for interaction and it has thriven for several decades now.

hays-galleria.com appears to be an estate agent's website with floor plans but there are some photos and more photos can be found by Googling Hays Galleria.

The Galleria itself consists mostly of eateries but there are shops nearby and plenty of opportunities to buy a packed lunch. So we can decide on the day where to have lunch.

Bring a sketching stool to be safe.

Our outing to Dalston Curve

Eight artists met up in the Dalston Eastern Curve gardens. This venue is becoming a regular as we went last year at the same time and enjoyed it on both occasions. The garden has become more mature and is very well cared for. The Curve welcomes community groups and hosts a wide range of activities.

The weather was overcast but brightened up later, with better light. The rain held off and it was not too cold.

We had lunch in the garden and exchanged painting tips and it must be said some gossip.

Thank you for welcoming us, Dalston Curve.

Our next outing is on Tuesday 11 October to Hayes Galleria. More details to follow

Pics below from our artists:

Audrey Rapier

Gafung Wong

Janet Payne

Priscilla Worley

Steve Betts

Sue Loder

Tricia Sharp

Sue Lees

Dalston Eastern Curve Garden Wednesday 21 September 2022

Our next outing is on Wednesday 21 September to Dalston Curve Garden, 13 Dalston Lane E8 3DF. Meet at 11 am. Do look at their website at dalstongarden.org

This is a much loved community garden in the heart of Dalston, on previously derelict land rescued from development by locals. It provides outdoor green space together with a cafe. We last visited about a year ago and enjoyed it immensely. 

Please note that this outing is on a Wednesday, not the usual Tuesday. The garden will be open for us and a carers' community group at 11am. After 1pm it will be open to the public. Janet's number for the day is 07815 772857 if you have difficulty getting in.

If it rains the regular Wednesday carers group have priority on the covered seating area. There is a cafe serving hot and cold drinks but with a limited food choice. There are plenty of local cafes, or bring a packed lunch. There are tables and chairs in the garden and loos.

See you there

Our Outing to the Cloister Gardens on 3O August 2022

About a dozen artists met in the Cloister Gardens of the Museum of the Knights of St John on a sunny but temperate day. Some great work was produced. The Gardens are a real Clerkenwell gem with historic connections and a flourishing olive tree. 

Workers from the surrounding offices use this garden to eat their lunches al fresco. The garden is very well maintained and a joyful place to sketch on a late summer's day.

Lunchtime throw down

From Alison Sandifer

From Audrey Rapier

From Avril Dennis

From Gill Steiner

From Diane Umemoto

From Gafung Wong

From Janet Payne

From Sara Meidan

From Sue Lees

From Tricia Sharpe

From Priscilla Worley