UK Urban Sketching Annual Event 7-9 June 2019

The third annual UK Urban Sketching Event this year is in Stoke-on-Trent.  It runs from Friday 7 June to Sunday 9 June 2019.  This is an opportunity to draw and socialise with loads of sketchers from all over the UK. This is the third year that this wonderful event will be run, this time in the historically fascinating city of Stoke-on-Trent. The Potteries area with the rich heritage of the 'six towns' will make for an excellent sketching location!

The event is free of charge and everyone is welcome.  Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.  Make your own accommodation arrangements, and just turn up with your sketching kit.

The event is organised by Urban Sketchers Stoke-on-Trent

PROGRAMME

Friday 7 June 5 pm – 7.30 pm

Stoke Minster:  This is around a ten minute walk from the station.  Meet at the church.   There are opportunities for sketching inside the church, or in the surrounding area, including views of King's Hall, and the Spode rose garden. Throw-down at  7.30 pm.   There are places to eat and drink in Stoke.

Saturday morning 10.30 am – 12.30

Burslem School of Art: This is accessible by bus, or train (Longport train station), which is about fifteen minutes by foot. Meet outside the Burslem School of Art. From there, you can also view the Wedgwood Institute - two impressive historic buildings.

Saturday afternoon 2 pm – 4 pm

Station Street, Longport: Accessible from the previous sketch location in Burslem by foot, or from Longport station.  Meet at "The Waiting Room" art gallery on Station Road, where there is access to toilets and refreshments.  From here, you can sketch the Chimney shop, or walk along the canal to Middleport Pottery (around a ten minute walk). Many parts of Middleport are free, or you can pay a small fee to access all areas. Follow directions on the map, which will be provided, to find Longport train station, where we will have the throw-down.

Sunday Morning 10.30am – 12.30

The Potteries Museum, Hanley: Accessible by bus. Meet outside the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Bethesda Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. You can sketch inside the museum, or outside, where there is a statue of Arnold Bennett, and views of historical buildings such as the Bethesda Chapel. You'll be spoilt for choice, with interesting buildings, old and new, in this area. The throw-down will take place by the Arnold Bennett statue, if dry.  

More information on this Facebook page: UK Urban SketchersAnnual Event

Alternatively, for further information telephone 07450 311759

UK Urban Sketching Annual Event 7-9 June 2019

Evening sketching at the South Bank Centre - Wednesday 19 June 2019

Join us for early evening sketching (6pm-8pm) at the South Bank Centre and Festival Hall by London’s River Thames.  Explore the new South Bank Centre roof garden, sketch the surrounding buildings and views across the river, and people enjoying the facilities of this leading arts location.  We can also draw inside the Festival Hall, particularly if the weather is poor.

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

Where and when to meet:

6pm: Meet near the doors of the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room (see photograph above).  The roof garden is at the top of the bright yellow concrete staircase in the photograph. 

8pm: Meet at the roof garden (if the weather is good) or inside the Festival Hall at level 1 by the riverside terrace (if the weather is poor) to look at drawings done, and to take group photographs.

If the weather is good we could then stay for a drink at the roof garden bar, or go to the bar/cafe inside the Festival Hall if we prefer. 

Options for drawing include:

The new South Bank roof garden has planting, and views of the buildings in the area, including across the river.

The Festival Hall has interesting interiors, lots of opportunities for people watching, and views from its big windows, on several levels.

There are views from the Hungerford Bridge/Golden Jubilee footbridges.

The South Bank has restaurants, bars, planting, and public art.

Practical information: 

The nearest underground stations are Embankment, Charing Cross or Waterloo.  The Festival Hall and South Bank Centre has food and drink, and toilets.

The event is run by Jo Dungey and Zane Karklina

Evening sketching at the South Bank Centre - Wednesday 19 June 2019

Save the dates for summer evening sketching

Save the dates for summer evening sketching in June, July and August this year.  We are planning three evenings for sketching by the river in London - central locations offering a choice of subjects.  Here are the dates for your diary, and more details will be published here soon.

Wednesday 19 June 2019

6pm-8pm

Draw at the South Bank Centre including the new roof garden, the river, surrounding buildings including the Festival Hall

Run by Jo Dungey and Zane Karklina

Wednesday 17 July 2019

6pm-8pm

Draw the Embankment area including Victoria Embankment Gardens, Whitehall Gardens, views from the Hungerford Bridge/Golden Jubilee Footbridges and Charing Cross Station

Run by John Webb and Gafung Wong

Wednesday 7 August 2019

6pm-8pm

Draw on the south bank of the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge, including views of the Tower of London, the City skyline, City Hall, and Hay’s Galleria

Run by Lis Watkins and Jo Dungey

Details of these sketching events will appear on the blog and our Facebook group page soon so save the dates.  Events are free of charge, no need to book, just bring your own art kit.

Save the dates for summer evening sketching

Let's draw Richmond - Saturday 15 June 2019

Richmond Bridge by John Swanson

We will be meeting in the pretty town of Richmond in South West London, to explore the parks, river and urban landscapes. The day is free of charge, no need to book, just turn up with your art kit.

Red phone boxes on Richmond Green

Key times and meeting points for the day:

11am:  Meet by the red telephones on the corner of Richmond Green, by The Prince’s Head and Cricketers pubs. This is about a 10 minute walk from Richmond Station, see map link and directions at the end of the blog.  There is shelter under trees here.  If the weather is too wet, we will meet at the Cricketers pub. 

From here, you can disperse to the nearby riverside or to the many places of interest below. Please note that there will be a high tide in the early afternoon. Sometimes the riverside is submerged, which makes for great sketching!

1pm: Meet again at the red telephones to look at drawings done so far.

Choose one of the many local pubs or cafes for lunch

3.30pm: Meet at the same place meet again to compare final sketches and for a group photo.

Afterwards you are free to retire to a local pub or café.  There’s a great choice, though in high summer it could be crowded. The White Cross is a lovely pub.

Options for drawing include:

Richmond Riverside

Richmond Riverside:  Walk down Water Lane to find the river Thames. Capture the boats, working arches, the Bridge and the terrace. Tide Tables café is under the arches and is a great (if busy) place to pick up a coffee and a vegetarian lunch. You can sit outside overlooking the river, even if the riverside is flooded.

The Thames from Richmond by John Swanson

Richmond Palace: This remaining fragment of Henry the 7^th’s palace includes the Tudor Royal Wardrobe (where household furnishings were stored), with an old arched entrance and a tiny tranquil green.

Richmond Palace Gateway by John Swanson

The Royal Wardrobe

The Richmond Foodies Market: The market operates on Saturdays on Heron Square adjacent to the Riverside. Great for capturing the bustle while picking up something tasty to eat.

Richmond Foodies Market

Hill Rise: This street becomes picturesque as it winds up away from the Odeon, including lots of cafes and individual shops.

Hill Rise

'The View': Walking about 10 minutes further up Hill Rise, you reach the view made famous by JWM Turner, with many benches and the Roebuck pub for refreshments.

The View from Richmond Hill

Richmond is an historic town with plenty of interesting places to draw. For more information visit: http://www.visitrichmond.co.uk/

Practical information:

Travel: Richmond has frequent trains from Waterloo via Clapham Junction, and is on the District Line. There are also many bus services. For people travelling in from outside London, Richmond is served by trains from Reading, but there are planned engineering works at Feltham that day that will mean some disruption. The services between Waterloo and Richmond won't be affected. Do check before travelling.

Directions to the red telephone boxes (initial meeting point): When you leave Richmond station, turn left, and keep going straight on, crossing the road once at the junction with Duke Street (keep the Itsu cafe on your left). Near the end of the main shopping street, just before House of Fraser, turn right down Golden Court. The meeting point is at the end of the lane.

Loos: House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer both have loos.

This day is run by Helen Hayhoe with the support of John Swanson and Nigel Gibson

Let's draw Richmond - Saturday 15 June 2019

Brentford Community Stadium - April 2019

(John Webb writes) Its hard to appreciate its 2 years since my first sketch.  I've numbered the main stages since the start - site clearance - and so here we are at number 10.  The steel and tereraces of all 4 sides/stands are there and the final, north west corner's steelwork is nearly complete.  Cladding is well underway so the remarkably strident angles of the design are beginning to make an impact (see other sketches on our facebook page)

 Tightly fitted between 3 railway branches this going to be one impressive and strikingly different Stadium.

Brentford Community Stadium - April 2019

We drew Croydon - April 2019

The cold, blustery weather wasn’t the best for drawing on location on Saturday, so it was great to see so many people turn out for our April sketchcrawl in Croydon. Lots of ‘regulars’ and a few new faces. The photograph above is from lunchtime when we met at Box Park, a food and entertainment venue constructed from metal containers.

Below are some of the drawings from the day plus a photograph from the final meet up point at Matthews Yard.  There are more sketches on the Facebook group page - please share yours if you came along! 

Next month we are off to the very pretty location of  Dulwich Village.

Croydon Clocktower and Town Hall by Adam

St. Michaels Church by Nicky

Surrey Street Market watercolour from Evie

                                                                           

Checking out the sketches at lunchtime

Box Park by Isabel

One Croydon by Liz

At Matthew Yard at the end of the day

                                                                               

We drew Croydon - April 2019

Drawing a house and visiting it a year later

(Olga Mackness writes)
I like Greenwich and I think this is one of the best areas in London for drawing Victorian architecture. I have sketched this view near Greenwich station - and did not even know the name of the road in my sketch. I just liked this street because it looks almost exactly like 100 years ago. Small terraced cottages - together with some bigger 3 storey houses, old chimneys, old roof tiles.
Since drawing this street, few month later I have met a new friend - and she invited me for Easter lunch in her house.
She has given me her address - and only on approaching I realised that this is the same street!
The one I liked so much!
And now I am able to visit one of the houses, meet the people, who live there.
How lucky and how interesting.
This is the photo of the street taken on Easter Day

Different weather and different light.
Hope to return for more sketching there - spotted interesting looking pub and some old school buildings.

Drawing a house and visiting it a year later