Let's draw Holland Park and the Design Museum - Saturday 22 September 2018

In September we draw at Holland Park and the Design Museum, off Kensington High Street.  Holland Park offers gardens in different styles including a Japanese garden, more formal gardens, wilder areas, and wandering peacocks.  The park has a range of interesting buildings.  The Design Museum is located in the former Commonwealth Institute, an innovative building redeveloped by OMA and John Pawson.  

The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your art kit.

Key times and meeting points

11 am: Meet the park side of the beautiful decorated gates of Holland Park (see photograph above), next door to the Design Museum. If raining, meet under cover outside the Design Museum.

The Design Museum café is not currently open (this could change), but there is a café in Holland Park, or you could stock up on coffee and sandwiches in the area around High Street Kensington underground station.

1 pm Meet at the main gates of Holland Park, next door to the Design Museum to look at drawings and take photographs.

3.30 pm Meet again at the main gates of Holland Park to look at drawings and take final group photographs.

Afterwards, we could then go to the Britannia pub a little way down Allen Street, on the opposite side of Kensington High Street, third road on the right - also a good drawing venue: wood-panelled walls and leather arm chairs, real ale.

Options for drawing

The Design Museum is at 224-238 Kensington High Street – see map below.  The Design Museum is a Grade II* listed building and a landmark building from the 1960s previously housing the Commonwealth Institute. It had stood vacant for over a decade, before the site was redeveloped by OMA, and the building interior by John Pawson. It displays contemporary design and innovation. There is a temporary exhibition of Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier, so several ballgowns to draw.

Holland Park is set back from Kensington High Street, along a path beside the Design Museum.   At the entrance are the formal Holland Park gates.  The park surrounds a Jacobean mansion, Holland House, named after its second owner, the Earl of Holland, whose wife was the first person in England to successfully grow dahlias. In the 19th century, Holland House became a hub of political and literary activity, visited by Disraeli and Lord Byron amongst others, but was largely destroyed by bombs during World War Two.

The large park has playing fields, woods and the Kyoto Japanese garden with a waterfall and Koi carp. There are also formal gardens, wandering peacocks, a small cafe, and toilets.

Kensington High Street itself has many interesting buildings. The most fascinating drawing opportunities are the buildings in the squares and streets off the high street.

Practical information

Arrive at High Street Kensington Station on the District and Circle Line.  Leaving the station, turn left on Kensington High Street.  Holland Park and the Design Museum are further along on the other side of the road (just past the Cass Art shop!)  Kensington High Street has many cafes and sandwich shops, and there is a café in Holland Park, open 8.30 am to 5.30 pm.  The Design Museum is free to enter but has a charge for some exhibitions.  There are toilets in the Design Museum and in the park.

The day is run by Nicky Browne and Olga Mackness. The drawing of the Japanese garden in Holland Park is by Olga, and the photographs are by Nicky and Olga.

Let's draw Holland Park and the Design Museum - Saturday 22 September 2018