dinos 2

Had another go at the dinosaurs using grey Pitt pens. Don't know which is better but seems to have a bit more depth.

London College of Exhibitionists

My reader may recall when a student of the LCC was revealing an unacceptable sighting of arsecrack about a year ago in the window of that august establishment and snapped by your brave blogger for posterity. The above title is the name apparently of their summer show. I wonder if the two are related: I think we should be told. Chickens with heads cut off have been far less active than this blogger: changing guests all the time and sketching all over the place. My most recent outings have been to the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith with Cafe Sketchers at the rooftop cafe, and today doing the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace. Both are rather quickly done with a brush pen, but were fun to do. I am trying to decide whether to go to Brasserie Toulouse Lautrec tonight, but in any case I shall be sketching at Pubsci on Monday evening. The people were very kind there and want prints of the sketches I have made in the past at their events so have dug these out. My current guests depart at some horrible hour tomorrow and I have to message my next guest to let him know when I am at home to receive him tomorrow. Until then he will have a look around London. Seems he is something to do with a sporting exhibition at the Olympic complex.

sketches r'us

My Irish guest has been and gone this morning. A charming young man attending a comics convention with apparently around 17,000 attendees. Dear me. Went to Gaby's Deli and did a desultory sketch and ate far too much. Yesterday four of us, lead by Luke, went to Little Venice and I sat in the freezing cold and did a not very good drawing there. We had a good cheap lunch ona pretty barge before setting off to Clifton Nurseries. This was excellent and a couple of us indulged in a cream tea while we sketched. Again, very enjoyable but my work was a bit crap. for some reason the snaps are coming out blue. Dear me.

here's the snaps

Further Diary of a Landlady

A rather busy week last week. On Saturday I was sketching around Richmond. The others made for the river and bridge but I was too cold so did a quick sketch in the Cricketers at Richmond Green. I had a quick sandwich there before busing up to Richmond Park and walking down Richmond Hill, where I installed myself in the Roebuck. On a fine day the view down to the river will be stunning to draw. However I did a rather desultory sketch of the Roebuck and a couple of its denizens. On Sunday night went to Christophe and Victorine in Hammersmith for a jolly dinner and to hear about their disputes with the tycoon practically rebuilding the house next door. Seems these may be resolved, as they have built a wall which has been painted white. I pointed out that they could put a small table and a couple of chairs there and some potted trees against the wall. However Victorine now favours a statue. Very late night. I had a quiet night on Monday instead of doing my usual jazz jam as I was going out again last night. Met Victorine outside Chris Beetles gallery. A very good selection of cartoonists but mainly illustrators were being shown. We had a glass of white sparkling wine and Christophe joined us. John Burningham gave a brief talk about his work and inspirations and Victorine bought a signed copy. We then staggered off to Da Aldo where they kindly bought me supper. I have to say the prices have risen enormously. However, when they admitted to having no cheese afterwards, they did rush out and buy a huge amount of cheese for a very reasonable price, which helped the second bottle of wine disappear quickly. Meanwhile I received a mail from my new pal Writer Dave. He wanted me to do a portrait of him and suggested he should come to my place and be drawn and thereafter come with me to the jam session at the Toulouse Lautrec, stay at my B & B and leave for his home in the midlands on the following Tuesday. This would be unfeasible, since I only have one room with two sets of stairs between this and the bathroom, book guests through Airbnb only, and am currently fully booked until the beginning of September. Also the light is not good at home so I never draw people here. I shall suggest that we might meet up at the Toulouse Lautrec at 7 where we could have a snack and I could draw him before the jazz jam really gets going at about 9 or later. This might work well since I am used to drawing people there and I might be able to get the odd musician or other audience member in the background, could also take a few snaps and finish the drawing later and send it on to him . I have to say I do not know of any B & B establishments around there, though I suppose they could be found by Googling. Anyway I shall suggest Writer Dave reads this. Very kind of him to ask me to draw him, but since I am known for making gorgeous people look awful, he is taking a bit of a chance! My very pleasant guest left this morning so I am readying the room for my next guest from Ireland. I also have plans for Cafe Drawing on Friday in Covent Gardent, and on Saturday in Little Venice. So looking forward to these.

Here's the snaps:

Embarrassed of SE1

Went to Twickers on Saturday. Met the others for coffee in an Italian place in Church Street. We then wandered to Orleans House Gardens and I drifted off alone towards Marble Hill Park. I found some woodland 'wild sculptures' which reminded me of the Gracia fiesta in Barcelona, with jellyfish made of plastic and recycled bottles etc hanging among the trees. Coming through the park to Crown Road, I decided nostalgically to walk past my parents house. I had lived there with my then husband in Marble Hill. I have to say (not completely unhappily, as my now ex is still living there with his new family) that today the place did look down at heel with half drawn curtains and an unkempt front garden. I then rang my Hammersmith friends and dropped in to see them. I sketched Victorine in her kitchen/dining room for a bit, but then things went downhill after a while as I got further down the bottle during a jolly chat about friends, art, etc. I only realised the extent of this when I staggered about a bit after unwisely getting up, so rapidly ordered a cab home. Slept like a log, of course. On Monday went to Christies with Carpe Diem and saw some fantastic photographs. There was also masses of Chinese jade and so on, and the most enormous diamonds in a private sale, with bodyguards standing very close by. I thought if I wore them in the Elephant & Castle they would not attract a second glance, but would seem totally fake among the local bling. Luckily they aren't mine then. On Tuesday my latest Airbnb guest left. This was a fifty year old lawyer who was attending a rock festival and whose room when he left resembled that of a teenage boy, though a bit tidier. Dear me. I then set off to the Oldie luncheon. Roy Strong was the main speaker, preceded by a chap talking about graveyards who was quite interesting, and a gardener. Roy Strong gave me an awful fright: he looked very similar to my first husband, even to his voice. A bit scary. Anyway he was an excellent and very lively speaker and I was almost tempted to buy a signed autobiography, but resisted the temptation. I am sure to buy the book eventually though. Prior to luncheon, we sat around with drinks in the bar. I had been to Pubsci the night before for a lecture on water by a Professor Martin Chaplin and had done a drawing in my sketchbook which needed some depth to be given to the background. There was a table in the middle of the bar at Simpsons with three jolly gents sitting there, and spotting a space I sat down to try and improve my sketch. The man on my left admitted to doing a bit of sketching and said his sketchbook was bigger than mine, and asked about some of my materials. I showed him my waterbrush and my tiny child's paintbox which seemed to amuse him. We chatted on and I suggested he should go in the for the Oldie 'artist of the year' competition. The American guy next to him gave me his card. Seems he lives in England and has written a book on Amazon and has a blog called 'writer Dave'. At this point my neighour suggested I sketch him with Dave. I produced a rather inadequate lightning sketch and asked for names. Turns out my neighbour is the famous stained glass artist Patrick Reyntiens who worked with John Piper etc. etc. Fortunately I did not realise this until I left, though the name had seemed familiar. Remind me to stay at home in future. I can't believe I suggested he should enter the Oldie competition. Dear me.