Saturday 30 September 2017

Teddington Weir

A pleasant morning today at Teddington Lock sketching the weir from the suspension bridge.  Teddington Lock is the point where The Thames ceases to be tidal.  Anything downstream being within The Port of London Authority.  Nearby is Tough's Boatyard.  One of the few remaining working boatyards on the tidal Thames and from where Operation Dynamo - the small ship flotilla to Dunkirk - was co-ordinated.  Opposite the weir were the studios of Thames Television, home of many iconic broadcasts. [John Webb]


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Sunday 24 September 2017

Let's draw the Imperial War Museum and Lambeth - Saturday 11 November 2017

In November we are going to be drawing in and around the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth, London which is very appropriate as it is Remembrance Day.
Today is also a Worldwide Sketchcrawl Day.
We are going to meet slightly later than normal so that those who want to, can mark the remembrance silence, that is organised at the museum at 11 am.


The sketching group will meet at 11:15am under the portico, which is the North Entrance of the IWM ( http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london)



After the initial meeting, we will meet at:
1pm - inside the museum on the 4th floor - the area they call roof terrace - which is actually under the glass barrel vault, fully undercover.
3:30pm - if good weather - outside - on the North Portico again. This is undercover but if it is weather is very bad we'll meet upstairs on the roof terrace again.
Please note there will be a Group Photo taken after the 3:30 meet to celebrate the 10 years of USK and this USK Worldwide Sketchcrawl
4pm - The Three Stags pub on corner of Kennington Road and Lambeth Road - drinks and further chatting.

This is a free event, just come along and bring your own drawing equipment.

We are free to draw anything in the museum (airplanes, cars, tanks,etc), the space itself, inside and out. Nearby, you have plenty of streetscapes with good views including 18th century terraces, brutalist architecture flats at the junction with Kennington road, St George's Catholic Cathedral ( http://www.stgeorgescathedral.org.uk/), Lambeth Church and a bit further away, Newport St Gallery (https://www.newportstreetgallery.com/)

There are plenty of eateries in the area around Lambeth North tube and also a cafe at the museum itself.
WCs at Museum
The nearest tube station is Lambeth North, also walking distance from Waterloo and Elephant and Castle
Local bus routes: 3, 12, 53, 59, 148, 159, 344, 360, 453 and C10.




We look forward to meeting you on the day!
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Friday 22 September 2017

We drew Highgate Cemetery 9 September 2017


The day started at Lauderdale House, where the excellent café did a roaring trade with the arrival of our band of Urban Sketchers. We all walked downhill through the lovely wooded Waterlow Park until we arrived at Highgate Cemetery East, where more sketchers were waiting for us -- in all, an excellent turnout of about 70 people.


This was my second visit to the cemetery.  I found it to be far more enjoyable than my first visit, when I was rather overwhelmed with the number of tombstones. 


Sangeeta Bhagawati
There were many subjects to chose from -- it was interesting how the sketchers spread themselves right round the cemetery.


Midday throw-down in the cemetery

After our first throw-down, some of us climbed the rather steep Swains Lane to Highgate village.

Mike Whalley
I can recommend lunch in The Angel, with Cathryn Worrell & Mike Whalley. Pond Square in the centre of Highgate (the pond is long gone!) was a good venue for sketching -- several of us positioned ourselves there.

Paul Gadenne
We returned to the Lauderdale House café for the final meet. Fortunately, the large veranda protected us from heavy passing showers.


Many thanks to all the sketchers who attended -- and thank you for sharing your wonderful sketches online.

Sarah Minty
Cynthia Barlow Marrs

Daniel Lloyd-Morgan
Katy Evans

By Dougie Simpson.
The day was organised by Dougie Simpson and Jo Dungey




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Friday 8 September 2017

Let’s draw Spitalfields Market - Saturday 14 October 2017

Drawing by Cathryn Worrell



In October, we will meet to sketch in and around Spitalfields Market.

Spitalfields has a long history as a Roman cemetery, a priory, and later as a hub for the weaving and silk making trade. There's been a market on the site for over 350 years. In 1991 the wholesale fruit and vegetable market was redeveloped into shops, cafes and restaurants. Read more about what's on in the market here: http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/

The day is free of charge and there’s no need to book, just turn up with your own art kit.
Goat sculpture, Bishops Square
Key times and meeting points for the day:

· 11am - Meet by the Goat Sculpture in Bishops Square/ Brushfield Street

· 1pm - meet again in the same place

· 3:30pm - meet again in the same place

(If there's heavy rain we'll meet just inside the entrance to the market on Bishops Square next to Patisserie Valerie.)

· Afterwards at about 4pm we'll go to Patisserie Valerie for anyone who wants a coffee and a chat or to continue drawing.

Drawing possibilities include:
The market building
· The market building (inside and out).
Christ Church
· Christ Church on Commercial Street, designed by the architect, Nicholas Hawksmoor.

· Brick Lane – around the corner from the church.

· Weavers houses in Norton Folgate (north of the market behind Carluccio's) and in and around Fournier Street (next to the Church).


· Elder Gardens on the north side of the market – a small gated garden with benches, which offers some respite from the busy market.

· This is a very busy area at weekends so there'll also be plenty of opportunities to sketch (lots of) people.

If it's raining, indoor sketching options include inside the market and sketching from inside one of the nearby cafes. There’s also a parade of shops on Bishopsgate that is under cover. Unfortunately, the church is closed on Saturdays but the cafe next door should be open.

Practical Information:

Lunch: There are lots of cafes, restaurants and food trucks in and around the market, as well as a big selection of curry houses on nearby Brick Lane.

Toilets: There are some public toilets near the eastern entrance to the market, inside Liverpool Street Station (you’ll need 30p in coins to enter) and lots of nearby cafes have toilets but you might need to be a customer to use them so please check.

Getting here: The nearest station is Liverpool Street, for mainline trains and underground, or Shoreditch High Street for overground. Lots of buses stop on Bishopsgate, including 42, 149, 242, 344 and 388. The 67 bus stops on Commercial Street. You can find more information about how to get to the market and a map here: http://www.spitalfields.co.uk/getting-here2/

The day is organised by Cathryn Worrell and Daniel Lloyd-Morgan.



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