The Naked Beauty

is the original name for what is now known as Hurst House, Woodford Green. There is more to it than this but getting my pencil down in the right place to start off with, isn't one of my strong points. Believed to have been a Hawksmoore piece, it was built in 1714. Anyway, it is very grand and the doorway is particularly attractive, which is why I drew it - twice.

The Naked Beauty

In service for the sailor

The Mission at 747 Commercial Road, Limehouse. Built for surviving sailors from the Great War, its facade is the most dramatic thing on the A13. I sat on one of the large red granite rocks grouped on the traffic island in front, next to an extremely large anchor. On a bright day with a flask of tea and my sunglasses, it was almost like being on the beach.

In service for the sailor

Let's Draw Blackheath - Saturday 5th September

Hello everyone - here are the details for Saturday's coming sketchcrawl.

Blackheath in London

 The Start

Meet 11.30am - in the car park next to Blackheath Railway Station.

For most people, the train or car will be the best way to arrive into Blackheath, so this seems the easiest meeting spot - it's not normally too busy, but just look for the people clutching sketchbooks.
If you're coming from Central London then it will be immediately adjacent to the platform you alight from. If coming in from further South, then you'll have to go up the stairs to cross over.

What with the bank holiday weekend just gone, I'm sure I don't have to remind you to bring an umbrella, but still, this being England, it's good to expect the worst. It might be rainy, it'll probably be cold and a bit windy.

Blackheath tends to get lumped in with Greenwich because they're so close, but there's actually plenty to explore by itself. However, for those who haven't already seen it, it would be worth the walk over to Greenwich Park on the other side of the heath, for the city skyline view from the Royal Observatory, simply because it is magnificent, and if you're an animal lover, there's also the deer park.

If the weather proves too much, there's plenty of coffee shops, pubs and tea rooms to sit in and sketch some people or interiors.

Braving the elements there's the heath, with lots of interesting views, kite flying, and the dramatic solitary presence of All Saints Church. I also hope to show you some of the less obvious sights, including a few impressive vistas and intriguing architecture hidden down some of the side roads in the area.

Lunch

Lunchbreak will be at the Princess of Wales, overlooking the Heath, at 1.30pm. Family friendly and spacious, with a decent pub food menu, however don't feel obliged to eat lunch here; if you prefer you can find somewhere else or bring your own  to eat on the heath should it be sunny enough, this is merely a gathering point for those of you who want to, with outside and indoor options.

The End

We will end outside All Saints Church at 4pm,  for a chance to show sketches, catch up and take some photos.

As always, the event is FREE and open to all, don't forget your pencils!

Look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Let's Draw Blackheath - Saturday 5th September

The Cally

 

This is Caledonian Road in north London, more commonly known as The Cally. It's been called the Cally for ever, but they felt it necessary to write it in big bold letters on the railway bridge in case people forgot. The Cally is not the area of London where I am from (I grew up in Burnt Oak), but this is where my Dad is from. He lived up the road, near the Nag's Head in Holloway. When I was a kid my dad would sometimes drive me over here when he had to visit his mates or one of my uncles, who still live locally. I was always very nervous of this area as a child, a rough place (and my own Burnt Oak was pretty rough) of villains' pubs, broken windows and dangerous alleys. It's still pretty tough, but I can appreciate the character in it now I'm grown up. Actually, I think this would be a very interesting place for a sketchcrawl (though I'd still keep my eyes open).

  

I sketched this area while I was back in London in June. One building I had to sketch was HM Prison Pentonville, the 'big house', which casts a imposing and gloomy shadow over Caledonian Road. Pentonville was opened in 1842 and has had many famous residents, such as Éamon de Valera, Dr. Crippen, John Christie (and Timothy Evans who was wrongly hanged for Christie's crimes), Oscar Wilde, and, um, George Michael. I sketched it from a cafe across the road called, appropriately, the Breakout. Condemned inmates were executed here at Pentonville until 1961. Prisons are horrible places.

  

From the Jail House to the Free House...this is actually at the back of the Breakout cafe, which looks like it was built in the space of a closed-down pub. This is part of the old pub signage around the corner from the Cally on Blundell Street. My dad actually went to school on this street, though the school is long gone. Funny that he grew up round the Cally, while I ended up in Cali(fornia). 

The Cally

August 2015 Sketchcrawl - Notes, photos and sketches

Despite the late change of date we had a really excellent turnout and a very good time during for the August Sketchcrawl of St James Park, HorseGuards and Trafalgar Square.

They even closed The Mall to cars so we could sit in the middle of the road and sketch!

At one point there were about a dozen urban sketchers perched on stools
ON THE MALL road surface - sketching impressive architecture - with perspective!

People would keep crossing the road and getting in the way of the view!

Watercolour sketch of Admiralty Arch by Lis Watkins
- who was a little nearer to the Arch.

VJ Day 70th anniversary service
on the Parade Ground at Horse Guards the previous day.
The War Memorial is at the back- next to the trees.

We assembled the day after the 70th anniversary of VJ Day at the WW2 Memorial in Horse Guards opposite the Parade ground.

I'd had this in mind for morning sketches but since the structures from the VJ Day Drumhead Service were being removed from the Parade Ground I suggested people came back to this spot in the afternoon - which a number of us did.

Hence the large number of sketches of Horse Guards Parade with the London Eye in the background.

However in the morning the major recommendation was to make the most of the fact that The Mall was 'coned off' and pedestrianised - and to to sketch things from a perspective that normally would not be possible.

In general people wended  their way from Horse Guards to the Mall and then via Admiralty Arch to Trafalgar Square. There's masses to sketch and that's good because we are back in Trafalgar square in December for the huge Christmas Tree!

Sketches from the morning session - some very impressive sketches of the Mall and Admiralty Arch

The London Eye gets everywhere!

Some impressive panoramic sketches and nice watercolours

Apparently you can get the accordion panoramic sketchbook from Cass Art.

We had a very good turnout for the Lunchtime Photo Opportunity! (Although this was maybe two thirds of the people who turned up on the day - some were still intent on sketching rather than eating!)

Urban sketchers taking a look at the sketches from the morning

In the afternoon we used the steps in between the National Gallery and the Sainsbury Wing to have a look at the sketches from the afternoon

Looking at sketches at the end of the sketchcrawl

Then some of us retired for tea and scones in the National Dining Rooms!  (Any sketchcrawl I organise always involves a cup of tea at the end - and is generally scheduled to finish near to somewhere nice to sit down!)

You can see more photos that I took:

• in the London Urban Sketchers - August 2015 (Mall) album on our Flickr account and also 
• see sketches that have been posted to Flickr in the Urban Sketchers London - Group Pool.   
• Click the photos above to go straight to larger versions on Flickr.

Katherine Tyrrell (Organiser)

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September 2015 Sketchcrawl 

Nathan is organising the Sketchcrawl for September.

The next Sketchcrawl is on Saturday 5th September when we will be visiting Blackheath, Blackheath Village and Greenwich Park.  Subscribe to the blog to get notification of the details automatically delivered to your inbox. Otherwise watch out for more details in:

• the note at the top of the right hand column of this blog
• or the USK London Sketchcrawls Page (see top menu)
• the Urban Sketchers London Facebook Group - Details and dates of forthcoming events can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/notes/urban-sketchers-london/how-to-find-out-about-urban-sketchcrawls-in-london/399571500240608.
  

August 2015 Sketchcrawl - Notes, photos and sketches

Wardour Street, W1

When I was in my teens, I thought this was the most exciting street on earth. Number 160 is now the Yamaha Music shop but still bears an acknowledgement to the company it was built for in 1906, Novello's Music Publishers. This was my second visit, I didn't get much done on the first visit because it was way too hot, and this afternoon it started raining. I'll be back ...

Wardour Street, W1

URGENT UPDATE: Sketchcrawl now switched to Sunday 16th August

The Sketchcrawl Let's Draw - Trafalgar Square, The Mall & St James Park - Saturday 15th August 2015 is MOVING TO SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST

We always do a search to see if there's anything coming up in an area at the time but somehow or other the VJ Day celebrations did not pop up as something happening on that day.

It's a big celebration this year because it's the 70th and consequently the last major celebration at which many people who participated in that theatre of the second world war will be able to participate.

However the important thing for our sketchcrawl is that it will take place on the same day - and in exactly the same area (see map below).

The area of our sketchcrawl on Saturday will therefore have:

• lots of roads closed (Click on the map below to see the very large version of how the road closures work on Saturday)
• lots of barriers up to keep people from moving across roads
• lots of people around and about - and circulating across the area will be a lot more difficult
• lots of security (re. the alleged bomb plots and - as you can imagine - they'll be very interested in people walking around with backpacks on!)

VJ Day Celebrations
This is the Metropolitan Police Map of the Road Closures on Saturday 16th August

So - we've decided we need to change the date. People were sounded out at short notice via the Facebook Group Event listing and we've decided to change to the Sunday.

Profuse apologies to all those who cannot now make it - but we thought a more enjoyable environment and no hassle for backpackers was more important for our sketchcrawl.

Anybody who has bought a train ticket should be able to change it or get a refund.

For those feeling intrepid and determined to brave the crowds you can find details here of what will be happening re the flypast by three historic service, the drumhead service and big screens. Please also be alert for security considerations.

If anybody knows of a listing which identifies events in specific areas by specific dates we'd like to know about it as we did check before deciding on the date!

URGENT UPDATE: Sketchcrawl now switched to Sunday 16th August