Drawing Attention, the official quarterly zine of the Urban Sketchers organization, communicates and promotes official USk workshops, symposiums, sketchcrawls, news and events; shares news about USk chapters; and educates readers about the practice of on-location sketching.
Sketch by Zane Karklina
(Zane Karklina writes)
Sir John Soane was one of Britain’s most influential architects who, among
other things, designed the Bank of England.
Pitzhanger Manor sits in the beautifully landscaped Walpole Park, and the
area surrounding the manor is rich with Victorian revival architecture,
which will provide many sketching opportunities.
Pitzhanger Manor is under 10 minutes’ walk from Ealing Broadway station,
accessed by the Central or District Line. Buses 65, 207 and 607 also stop at
Ealing Broadway.
There are many cafes and restaurants on the surrounding streets as well as
Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre. Public toilets can be found in the shopping
centre, Walpole Park and Pitzhanger’s 2 cafes - Soane's Kitchen and Pitzhanger Pantry.
In case of rain, cover can be found in the nearby cafes or the shopping centre.
Food and drink are available from Pitzhanger's Pantry, a kiosk in Walpole Park open daily from 09.00 until dusk, and from Soanes' Kitchen, a spectacular cafe/restaurant space inside the original walled kitchen garden, normally open Wednesday to Sunday from 09am until 10pm.
Entrance to Walpole Park is free. Tickets for Pitzhanger Manor are available for purchase on a timed-entry basis at £7.70/£4.95 (or £3.50 if you have a National Art Pass). Details are available on the Pitzhanger Manor website.
11 am
Meet at the entrance/in front of Pitzhanger Manor (see photo)
1 pm and 3 pm
Throwdowns and photos will be on the stone benches located behind the Manor in Walpole Park.
For centuries Ealing lay on the main road from London to Oxford, and
travellers could change horses and refresh themselves in many inns
along the way, what is now known as Uxbridge Road.
By the end of the nineteenth century, with improved travel in the form of trains, canal boats and horse buses, people could more easily access Central London for work but still live in what was still considered the countryside. Ealing was known as the Queen of the Suburbs!
In 1800 the architect Sir John Soane bought a property to escape from London’s smoke and smells, a space to entertain his guests, and showcase his architectural skills. In 2019, Pitzhanger manor opened its doors after three years of restoration to match Soane’s original design. Fortunately, parts of Soane’s garden were also preserved, now known as Walpole Park behind the Manor.
In 1852 Christ the Saviour Church was designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, inspired by 13th century Gothic style with its ragstone medieval tower.
In 1888, Charles Jones, the council’s surveyor, designed the impressive Gothic Revival style town hall as a status symbol of the prosperous borough. It also housed a free library and three swimming baths. Jones’ career spanned over 50 years and he was responsible for much of Ealing’s Gothic revival style architecture.
Opposite the Town Hall is Filmworks Cinema, with a preserved Art Deco facade of the historic Empire cinema that closed in 2008 and still hasn’t reopened. The building of the new Ealing Broadway shopping centre, opened in 1985, however, drastically altered part of the centre of Ealing.
Ealing Studios opened its doors 1902, making it oldest continuously working studio facility for film production in the world. Over the years it has hosted countless iconic blockbusters and TV shows, comedies and documentary productions, including Dr Who, Monty Python, Downton Abbey and Bridget Jones, to name a few. Starting life as film studios, they became famous for comedy films in 40s and 50s, then for over thirty years it became the home to BBC TV productions. In its heyday more than 50 film crews used Ealing Studios as their base.
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| Morning sketchers group under the Coal House Café canopy |
[Isabel Carmona writes]
I’ve been wanting to come to this oasis of greenery in North East London for a while and finally the day came, with London drizzle and even rain. That didn’t deter us, we found shelter under the canopy of the Coal House Café overlooking the East Reservoir.
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| Morning throw down |
There are two reservoirs -- the West Reservoir is a venue for water sports, the East is the home of the Woodberry Wetlands. The sketches of the day recorded both areas but most of us stayed overlooking the wetlands where we did the throw down.
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| Sketch by Zita Kasp |
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| Sketch by Jia You |
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| Sketch by Adam Topor |
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| Morning and afternoon sketches by Martin Stone |
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| Sketch by James Hobbs |
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| Sketch by Fei Yin |
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| Sketch by Alison Gardiner |
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| Sketch by Sufian Ahmed |
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| Afternoon throw down |
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| Afternoon group |
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| James Hobbs, Woodberry Wetlands |
For our August gathering we are meeting to draw at the reservoirs at Stoke Newington, a nature reserve and watersports venue within London’s Zone 2 and a short walk from Manor House tube station. The West Reservoir, which was the location of a recent edition of the Sky Landscape Artist of the Year (featuring our own Helen Hayhoe), is a venue for sailing, wild swimming and other water sports. The East Reservoir is the home of Woodberry Wetlands, opened by David Attenborough in 2016, and home to a diverse range of migratory birds. While the reservoirs are a haven for wildlife, it is in an unashamedly urban setting, with new developments along the reservoirs’ north banks, with cafes, pubs and shops close at hand.
Manor House tube station is on the Piccadilly line, about 15 minutes from King’s Cross. Take Exit 2 from the tube station and walk down Woodberry Down, which is straight ahead. Turning right at Woodberry Grove, or earlier, will bring you to the reservoirs.
11am
Meet by the water sculpture (above) on the north bank between the two reservoirs. It is beneath the tallest towers close to Lordship Road.
1pm and 3.30pm
Both throwdowns and the final photo will be by the stepped seating by the water sculpture.
There are cafes and toilets around the reservoirs.
There are cafes and toilets at the watersports centre by the West Reservoir, and at the East Reservoir.
The Naturalist pub (with an outdoor seating area) is behind the playground on the West Reservoir, and the Zer coffee and juice bar is up the footpath behind the water sculpture. There’s a supermarket and other shops under the towers on Woodberry Grove.
In the event of bad weather, there isn’t much in the way of shelter, although there is a large awning by the cafe at Woodberry Wetlands on the East Reservoir, with views across the water.
There is more about Woodberry Wetlands nature reserve at this link.
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| Alison Gardiner |
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Alison Gardiner: 'So good to meet up again in person on Saturday to draw! Here are mine. Loved the wildflower wall at the Aquatic Centre and did my first drawing of a motorised scooter!' |
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Mike Barber: 'Great to meet up again at last at The Olympic Park - another interesting location. So lucky with the weather too.' |
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Eli Sugrue, age 12 “It was a great day out, I loved adding splashes of colour to my sketch.” |
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| Sarah Correira, in the process of capturing the uniquely recognisable vista. |
There was so much variety beyond that – the river, the blooming flower beds, the people, the skyline, the building sites and the West Ham stadium improbably hosting a chicken wing festival. Our throwdowns against the reflective wall of the Aquatic Centre showed a line of sketches and a line of silhouetted legs. As ever, the mix of subject and media provoked discussion and we enjoyed sharing our sketchbooks during and afterwards over coffee. It was great to meet old friends, people we had only ‘met’ virtually and also people new to London Urban Sketching.
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Cal Hoy: 'So lovely to go somewhere other than my local area and sketch and chat with real people. |
The full programme will follow shortly. Watch this space.
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John Swanson: 'Among all the stadia, cranes and towering sculpture, it was this little van that caught my attention at the Olympic Park.' |
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| Pen & ink sketch of the Olympic Park by Nick Kobyluch |
However, since COVID-19 and its variants are going to remain even after the restrictions are lifted, it’s prudent to take all the
necessary precautions to make ourselves and fellow sketchers safe
throughout the event. The risk of infection is low for outdoor events but basic rules do still apply - please don't attend if you're feeling unwell, wear a face covering if close to others, give people space and practice good hand hygiene. There is also the option of self-testing before the event. (you can get home testing kits through this link).
The famous ArcelorMittal Orbit
is probably the first thing that comes to mind for most people when they think
of the Olympic Park, but since the 2012 London Olympic Games, this place has
become a bit of a treasure trove of modern sculptural art! The orbit is only
one of nearly 30 different art installations; some are functional and others
serve as time capsules. More information and a map here: Art in the Park – a field guide.
If you prefer to sketch at home or locally to where you live, please feel free to interpret the theme as you wish – they could be monuments which celebrate the history of your local area, sculptures made by local artists or even art installations that have specific functions.
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| 'Please be Seated' installation at Kew - Watercolour sketch by Sasala Wickramasinghe |
At home, it could be a souvenir you brought back from your last holiday (remember those?!), a treasured gift you received or even something you are working on yourself.
Whether you join us in person in Stratford, sketch locally in a smaller group or sketch at home, please don't forget to share your sketches on the USk London Facebook Page, or on social media (Instagram/Twitter) with the hashtags #urbansketcherslondon #usklondon #urbansketchers to help us find your drawings. Also, please send your location drawings to us via email to be included in the Our London interactive sketch map.
11 am
Meet at QE Olympic Park, by the London Aquantics Centre (#1 on the map). The main entrance is just across the road from the
Westfield Shopping Centre. This is a big open space with the Aquatics Centre on your left.
1 pm and 3.30 pm
Both throwdowns and the final photo, by the London Aquatics Centre (#1 on the map). For the benefit of those who may join later and/or rain tomorrow, the throwdowns and the photo will take place by the Aqualtics Centre, same as the original meeting point.
There are plenty of facilities dotted around the park; they’re clearly marked on the map in Art in the Park - A Field Guide. There are quite a few cafés and restaurants in the East Village and in the Westfield shopping centre if people want to gather for lunch or stay for a drink afterwards.
The meeting points (magenta) and toilet facilities (orange) are marked on the map below.
See you at the park!
Drawing Attention, the official zine of the Urban Sketchers organization, communicates and promotes official USk workshops, symposiums, sketchcrawls, news and events; shares news about USk chapters; and educates readers about the practice of on-location sketching.
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