The London Mastaba

By Steven Baker

(Jo Dungey writes)  In June this year, London’s Hyde Park acquired a dramatic new feature.  The London Mastaba is a huge sculpture, temporarily installed to float on The Serpentine lake.

Several members of Urban Sketchers London have worked on location in Hyde Park to create works portraying the London Mastaba, which we show here.

By Andrea Deng

The sculpture is the work of Christo and Jeanne Claude, artists known for the creation of huge environmental installations.  These have involved wrapping famous buildings such as the Reichstag in Berlin, and the Pont Neuf in Paris.  They have also created huge interventions in landscape, including Running Fence in California, and Valley Curtain in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA. 

By Lis Watkins

The London Mastaba is made from 7,506 horizontally stacked barrels painted in red, white, blue and mauve.  Historically, a mastaba was a type of flat-topped tomb built in ancient Egypt.  This form was used to create a huge installation which floats on The Serpentine lake.

By Jo Dungey

The nearby Serpentine Gallery is presenting an exhibition: Christo and Jeanne Claude: Barrels and The Mastaba 1958-2018.  The exhibition includes sculptures, drawings, collages, scale models and photographs from the last sixty years of the two artists’ work.

From the exhibition

The exhibition runs until 9 September 2018 and the London Mastaba is installed until 23 September 2018.  Reflections glittering in the Serpentine waters, the London Mastaba is a symbol of London's long, hot summer.  See it if you can.

The London Mastaba

We drew Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens 19 August 2017

[By Nicky Browne in London] Hyde Park had a nip of autumn in the air, but the welcome from the Urban Sketchers was friendly and warming -- and it might have been a record attendance! (Anyone want to count heads?)

Every year the Serpentine Gallery commissions a leading architect to design a new temporary summer pavilion. This year's structure was designed by Francis Kéré, the award-winning architect from Burkina Faso. They've even tucked a coffee bar inside -- what better way to start the day?

There was a wealth of material to hand. We met at the Serpentine Gallery next to the summer pavilion designed by Francis Kéré. Then off to work!

 The Italian Gardens' fountains played against the backdrop of golden grass and dark, late summer trees. The Serpentine Lake bridge, the Serpentine Sackler Gallery designed by Zaha Hadid and the Serpentine Gallery itself appeared in many drawings and paintings.

Several people challenged themselves successfully with the Royal Albert Hall and the famous Albert Memorial. Someone even stood at the traffic lights and drew the Royal Geographical Society (the view was regularly blocked by buses waiting at the lights!). 

There were several renderings of the aptly named equestrian statue Physical Energy by the Victorian painter and sculptor George Fredric Watts. (The original plaster model is located at the very drawable Watts Gallery in the Surrey village of Compton, near Guildford).

There were also sketches of the contemporary bronze sculpture Serenity by Simon Gudgeon, and one or two drawings of The Arch by Henry Moore, a stone sculpture the artist gave to the nation in 1980.

Chickens as wildlife!

Then there was interesting wild life: swans, geese, ducks and people. Someone sat too near a Great Tit's nest and was attacked several times --  and there were some lovely paintings of some rather splendid chickens! 

The day was organised by Jo Dungey with Nicky Browne

We drew Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens 19 August 2017

Roller-coaster sketchcrawl

It's true, last Saturday's sketchcrawl wasn't for the faint-hearted. It was cold, and rained a bit, and there was a feeling of smugness along with coldness when we headed back to the Tyburn pub. Winter Wonderland: I'm not sure about the "wonderland" bit, but it certainly was winter.

Roller-coaster sketchcrawl

Winter Wonderland

Skaters II, watercolour only ©Sue Pownall.

On a cold, 4°C, and showery afternoon, ten sketchers met in a nice warm pub beforeheaded across Marble Arch and into the Winter Wonderland event.  

Near the entrance was a big wheel complete with Santa in his sleigh, and it had to be drawn. Taking shelter under one of the many wooden food chalets, I grabbed an Inktense pencil and started sketching. The slightly unusual effect is due to spots of rain on the page.

I wasn't happy with the red, so added red watercolour at home.

Next up, I sketched Zippo's Circus. I have to say I was tempted to go and see the show, especially as a sign boasted "It's warm inside". Instead, it was a cup of hot chocolate and onto the outside skating rink. I sketched the skaters directly in watercolour. The spots on the page due to the paint taking forever to dry.

Pencil with watercolour added at home.

 With icy feet, fingers & nose, a great find was the firepit, where thawing out whilst sketching was a perfect way to end a visit to the Winter Wonderland. Finally, it was time to head to the pub and share our sketches.

Winter Wonderland