ART IN THE PARK DAY AT KINGS PLACE FRIDAY 17 JULY

Nine artists assembled on the canalside terrace at Kings Place to sketch the fine collection of barges moored opposite. We had a good day in many ways, as the weather was warm and dry, though windy. Unfortunately the views were less extensive than we had anticipated as parts of the terrace were off limits having been reserved for private parties, or for the Rotunda restaurant, but some interesting views could be seen from the cafe’s section of the frontage.   

The wind caused choppy water, which was a challenge taken up by some. Two of us stayed until 5 o'clock enjoying the vista and trying to finish our work. The cafe arrangements were fine, and we were also able to look at the Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait competition which was hung in the cavernous interior of the building.

Next Sketching date: Friday 17 July

We are going to King's Place at 90 York Way, London N1 9AG and we suggest meeting at 10.30am. Come in at the front door on York Way and walk straight through to the canalside exit. Sketchers should be easy to spot. King's Place is an enormous entertainment building which backs onto the Battlebridge Basin on the Regent’s Canal.

If it's raining we can sit and sketch in the vast ground floor café area, and if it's dry we can sit on the canalside terrace and paint the barges and the glassy new apartments behind them. Part of the terrace is also under cover so usable if wet. Please bring your sketching stools so that you can go where you want on the terrace.

Here is a link to the map of the area. There are multiple buses, and Kings Cross tube station is not far away. Contact mobile: 07975 864142. See you there!

Art in the Park on Tuesday 16 June

Art in the Parkers sketched in the surprisingly sylvan Priory Common Orchard, alongside Priory Road, N8, on a day which gradually developed into full sunshine. The space is a low-maintenance edible garden, and because it was a Tuesday, some of the volunteer gardeners were present, and very kindly invited us to share their lunch garnered from the plants in the garden.  

We ate lime leaves filled with leaf and flower salad, featuring salsify, campanula, saltbush, and young horseradish leaves (and other collections from the garden) with a dressing made of pounded gleanings. It was deeply delicious, and we came away much informed about the possibilities of eating  either parts of vegetable garden plants not normally eaten, or flower garden favourites, following conversation with Gemma Harris and her colleagues.

An unexpected treat for Art in the Park, we don't usually get to eat our subject-matter. Another location to which we would like to return.

Next sketching date: 16 June

The next Art in the Park sketch date is Tuesday 16 June and we are going to Priory Common Orchard, Crouch End, N8 8NB. In the hope and expectation of a sunny day, we are going to suggest meeting at 10:30 am in the garden and paint for as long as you feel like it.

The Priory Common Orchard is a strip of land which has been turned into a community garden, and further details plus a map can be found here. There is an attractive view across the garden, with its various trees, and gardening operations, leading up to the rear of a Victorian building. There is also an interesting view across Priory Road of an Edwardian parade of shops, including a pub and Syl’s café, and either of these will have refreshments and a lavatory. The garden is unfenced on two sides, so views in and out are unhindered by fences. Tuesday morning is the day when the community gardeners will be at work, so some of us may like to sketch gardening activities.

It appears that the roads around the Priory Common Orchard are not parking controlled, but they are fairly heavily parked up. Various buses come close which you can see listed on the website. We look forward to seeing lots of Islington Art Society colleagues and friends and, as always, there is no need to book, just arrive. Sue's mobile number is: 07975 864142 should you need to get in touch.

May's sketching outing to Finsbury Park

We managed to sketch these views before the rain started

We continued sketching inside the café after lunch to avoid the downpour

"I like to join the Art in the Park sketchers because I enjoy the camaraderie, the support of other artists and the exchange of information"                        Janet Payne

Next sketching day is Tuesday 19 May

Art in the Park will be back out in the park on Tuesday 19 May when we plan to visit Finsbury Park, London N4. We will meet at the Finsbury Park Café at 10:30am, where some of us may wish to stay and sketch people at tables outside, and then we will probably meet up there at lunchtime. Some of us will probably wish to continue working on our art into the afternoon.

Finsbury Park has a lake with an island, rowing boats, large water fowl (Canada Geese) as well as parkland vistas, outdoor games areas, formal gardens and café activity and offers a variety of art subjects. We will hope for a glorious sunny day but if it is rainy the café has an external canopy and the lake is close by. You may wish to bring your sketching seat with you.

A link to a map of Finsbury Park can be found here; the café is near the southern edge of the lake. We understand there is some parking inside the park but we have not visited to confirm this. Parking outside the Park is heavily controlled with all-day Controlled Parking Zones.   

There are many buses serving this area: 29; 141; 210; 253; 254; 259; 279; 341; W3; W5 and W7 and two tube stations: Finsbury Park and Manor House.

We look forward to meeting up with regular Art in the Park participants and their guests on 19 May! Sue's mobile number is: 07975 864142 should you not be able to find us.

April's visit to Ally Pally

The Palm Court that reminded us of Kew Gardens

On Monday 10 artists gathered at Alexandra Palace having travelled from different parts of London to enjoy the views over London and to sketch this monument to Victorian architecture. Built during the height of the British Empire Ally Pally opened as the People's Palace in 1873 and it is still used today for exhibitions and events. We pretty much had the place to ourselves the day we were there and there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere which was conducive to working. Quite a few of us were still sketching until late afternoon.

There were a lot of subjects available for drawing. Some artists wrestled with the architecture, others were taken with the palm trees and sphinxes. We didn't realise until late on in the afternoon that some of the sphinxes had masculine features and others had feminine features. For those artists who felt a bit overwhelmed by the structure the outside beckoned with the panoramic view of London in the distance and the terrace, where people were eating and drinking, closer to hand.

At lunchtime we gathered in the Bar & Kitchen to recuperate from our labours, chat about places to exhibit our art and show each other our morning's work. We have agreed that this is another venue that would be well worth revisiting in the future and it has the advantage of offering covered space inside if the weather is too inclement to work outside.