Author: Jane

Urban sketcher, coastal artist, swimmer.

Two City Sketches

From an office window
Above Great St Helens

The view from an office window, Tower 42 on the left. This was sketched from indoors, nice and warm. The challenge was to avoid getting watercolour spots on their pristine office furniture.

The view “above Great St Helen’s”, shows what you see if you look up towards the North from the Aviva building in Undershaft, near the Gherkin. The cupola is above St Helen’s Place, 62-69 Bishopsgate. This sketch done standing up, in the cold. Coloured later.

The Charterhouse EC1 – Over the boundary

Two sketches, both from Preacher’s Court, The Charterhouse. One shows the view looking South West, past the new accommodation block. The other looks North East towards the John Vane Science Centre of Queen Mary, University of London campus.

View South West, beyond the Admiral Ashmore building

The new accommodation block in Charterhouse was built in 2000, designed by Michael Hopkins and partners, architects also of Portcullis House. It is called “The Admiral Ashmore Building”.

View North-East, with the John Vane Science block in the background

The John Vane Science Centre houses, amongst other things, the London Genome Centre.

In the Charterhouse, the leaves show Autumn colours, untroubled by wind, in the enclosed courtyard. It was still very cold. I sketched there from 09:30 to 12:30.

Three Etchings

Three etchings made today at a course at East London Printmakers.
The ones of the men and the landscape are made with “soft ground”. The ‘Bread and wine’ was a line drawing etched using hard ground, and then the patterns went on in soft ground in two later dips.
Leader of the course: Ann Norfield

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Urban discussion

On 23rd Nov I added more soft ground into the top windows. 

Saint Bartholomew the Great

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From the main gate of St Bartholomew the Great, off West Smithfield.

 

Snow in Sainte-Croix

Snowfield behind the church. Painted with melted snow as I forgot to bring water. All done standing up as everything was wet and cold. Snow blew from the roof of the church and fell on the picture.

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The Temple of Sainte-Croix, Protestant Church. Constructed 1747 on the ruins of a previous building destroyed by fire in 1744. Drawn on location and coloured at the Hotel de France. About 20 min to draw, standing in the road.

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The Admiral Ashmore building

Here is a sketch from Preacher’s Court, Charterhouse.

I did it just after “The Well House” sketch.

3 Nov 2016 (2)

I liked the three ages of buildings: the 16th and 17th Century Hall on the left, the Admiral Ashmore Building (2000) and the 1970s office blocks and flats behind, with scrappy enhancements, probably 21st Century.

I got very cold.

A brother came by and told me he was the oldest, at 88. He was going to lead Grace at lunch. Everyone would have to stand up. It was like being at school. “I have the mind of a 15-year-old boy,” he informed me, “You had better watch out!”

The Well House,  Charterhouse 

Here is one of my favourite views in The Charterhouse. That curling support for the guttering (top left) is characteristic: details that delight the eye.

I drew this standing in the roadway. The suppliers and drivers coming and going were very gracious.

Barbican towers are just visible over the autumn trees.

Here’s what it looked like before the colour:

3 Nov 2016 (1 - outline only)

St Edwards Passage Cambridge

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A quick sketch on a cold day. 45 minutes, standing outside the “Indigo Coffee House”. Nearby, bicycles were parked on the fence surrounding the church of St Edward, King and Martyr.

I wanted to catch the bright sunlight in Kings Parade, seen from the relative darkness of St Edwards Passage.