Last year I did lots of sketching of people and places along
the Sydenham Artists Trail which is run as part of the Sydenham Arts Festival
and showcases many talented artists and crafts people living in this part of
south east London. So it was very exciting
to be asked this year if I’d like to be an ‘Artist in residence’ at one of the
venues.
The venue was the Alexandra Nurseries, a small garden centre
very close to where I live and somewhere I knew would provide lots of material
for sketches.
It’s an unashamedly pretty place where flowers and plants
are packed in and is very popular as a place to stop for coffee and cake even
if you have no interest in gardening.
The building used to be the Estate House for the nearby
Alexandra Cottages which were built between 1866 -88.
The drawings here took about 14 hours spread over two sunny
July weekends.
