Here is The Leather Market Workspace. The Victorian building on the left is the back of the Grade II listed former “London Leather, Hide & Wool Exchange”, 1878, designed by George Elkington and Sons.
My idea had been to sketch the front of the Victorian building from Weston Street. But the front was obscured by delivery vans.
We were on the point of abandoning the project, when Toby appeared.
(c) Lynn Adams, used with permission.
Toby, it turns out, is in charge of a café. He was standing on the pavement next to a huge arch by the Victorian frontage. Come in! he suggested. Lynn and I followed him through the arch. The space opened out into a large yard, with seats. Toby went into his café and we walked around the yard, sizing up the artistic possibilities. Lynn uttered a shriek of delight. She had discovered a point at the edge of the courtyard with an unexpected view of The Shard. And trees. This was her quest. She settled down to sketch while I went to procure coffee from Toby and his team. Then I started sketching too.
“The Leather Market” is one of a collection of co-working spaces managed by Workspace Group plc. We sketched and drank our coffee in the calm yard. Workers passed by and made encouraging comments.
We returned our coffee cups to the friendly café, and set off to explore more of Bermondsey. By the time we emerged out through the arch, the delivery vans had gone from the front of the building.
Thank you to Toby and his team from Skinners Café for making us so welcome!
Here’s a map:
Colours, all Daniel Smith watercolours:
- Fired Gold Ochre for the bricks
- Burnt Umber and Ultramarine Blue for the grey and blacks
- Serpentine Genuine for the greens
- Some Transparent Pyrrol Orange and Mars Yellow for the light indoors
- all the whites are the paper, fine lines achieved using masking tape and rubber resist.
My pen is a Lamy Safari with EF nib, and De Atramentis Document Black waterproof ink. Paper is Arches Aquarelle 300gsm CP, in a book made by Wyvern Bindery of Hoxton
I have sketched in Bermondsey before:
2 Morocco Street, Bermondsey, London SE1
Bermondsey is an area of London just to the south of London Bridge. I had tea at the bookshop and café called “Morocco Bound”. From a table…
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2 Leathermarket Street, Bermondsey, SE1
From the café “Morocco Bound” I sketched the distinctive building across the street. This is 2 Leathermarket Street: In the distance you see The Shard, at London…
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St James Bermondsey SE1
Walking back from the Little Bread Pedlar with my bag of goodies, I came to a standstill in front of St James’ Church, Bermondsey. This is a…
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Jane Sketching 