Goodbye London

I have moved to Wellington, New Zealand and started a new blog i sketch wellington.  Please take a look.  I'm very late posting this as I have been back in NZ for just over a year.  Goodbye London! 

Sketching around Bloomsbury Holborn and St Giles

Some drawings I was commissioned to do late last year.

Skate @ Somerset House

A sketch from a few months ago. The 'Skate' sign had been installed on Somerset House and workers were busy setting up the temporary ice skating rink which operates in the courtyard each winter.

The John Snow

The John Snow pub in Broadwick Street, Soho was named in honour of Dr John Snow (1813-1858). Known for leading in the development and adoption of anesthesia. He is also considered one of the fathers in epidemiology because of his work in tracing the source of a cholera outbreak to a water pump (which once stood outside the John Snow pub) in 1854.

This is a great pub, if you can get in. It gets very busy. The bar is divided up into three areas. I especially love the tiny little door that connects two of the areas.

Fortune Park

Lovely little park just off Whitecross Street, and close to my old flat. I've sat here many times drinking coffee - there is a coffee stall in the park called Giddy Up.

Lunch time sketch at the Tower of London

A (very distorted) view of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, from the terrace at Costa Coffee.

On Broadway (market)

Had a very nice dinner at Solche Cilician cafe a few months ago when it was warm. It's on Broadway Market in Hackney, East London. You can see the Haggerston gasometer in the distance.

Regents Canal view

A sketch from last summer.  Regents Canal near the Tow Path cafe.  A lovely spot.

Sketching Jack's London

The Ten Bells pub in Spitalfields, East London. Apparently Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly, two of Jack the Rippers victims frequented this pub. According to Wikipedia 'Annie Chapman may have drunk at the pub shortly before she was murdered; and it has been suggested that the pavement outside of the pub was where Mary Kelly picked up clients as a prostitute'. Despite its history or because of it, it's a great pub with lots of character. The interior it is decorated with impressive original Victorian tile.

I did this sketch a few months ago at the 'Sketching Jacks London' sketchcrawl organised by Pete Scully.  It was a fun evening and great to meetup with some people from USk Barcelona....and perfect weather.  Pete gave everyone one of his mini sketchbooks and here's a few drawing in did in mine.....

Relaxing in Greenwich Park

Another drawing from a few months back..in the summer. Relaxing in Greenwick Park after the obligatory walk up the hill to the observatory.