Skating on the Natural History Museum Ice Rink

Sketch of the skaters and Christmas Tree on the Christmas Skating Rink at the Natural History Museum - complete with penguin stability aids for the little ones

Wishing all regular readers of Travels with a Sketchbook
a Merry Christmas 

and Happy Sketching in the New Year

Skaters at the Natural History Museum, South Kensington
pen and ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook, 8" x 10"
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

I've been saving these up since the beginning of the month when we visited the museums in south Kensington with London Urban Sketchers!

Christmas Skating Rink in front of the Natural History Museum, South Kensington
pen and ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook, 11" x 16"
copyright Katherine Tyrrell 

Note the novice skaters clinging to the edge in the background.  The children had penguins to cling on to as they skated around - they seemed to work very well

Click this link for details of the skating rink at the Natural History Museum

Urban Sketchers London - Sketchcrawl #3 in South Kensington

Today's the day of the third Urban Sketchers London Sketchcrawl - and everybody is welcome!  

Details are on the flyer below.

• start in the Central Hall (the one with the skeleton of the dinosaur) of the Natural History Museum at 11.00am
• finish inside at the Victoria & Albert Museum at 4.30pm (when it will be dark outside)

There are also opportunities to draw skaters on the ice rink outside the Natural History Museum - and below is the sketch I did last time I visited and sketched in Winter!

The nearest tube is South Kensington (Circle, District and Piccadilly Lines) which is right opposite both museums.  Couldn't be easier! (This is the map of the planned closures on the Underground this weekend)

PS If you're planning on sketching outside bring your thermals - it's cold!

Greenwich Heritage, Canary Wharf and the O2 Dome

Following on from Sailing ships and the City of London from Greenwich Park, here are two more double page spreads which made up my Greenwich Park Panorama

The middle section looks:

• over the Equestrian Arena in Greenwich Park constructed for the Olympics and 
• past the Queens House and the Old Royal Naval College which form an important part of "Maritime Greenwich" (the Royal Borough of Greenwich's UNESCO approved World Heritage Site)
• across the River Thames (past the Thames Sailing Barge with its rust red sails)  
• to the Isle of Dogs and the new business centre at Canary Wharf.  

If you keep going past the tall office buildings at Canary Wharf you'd come to where I live in East London!

Greenwich panorama sketch towards Canary Wharf11 x 16" pen and ink and coloured pencils
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

You can also see this sketch on Flickr where I've annotated it with the names of seven structures,  places and objects in the sketch.  You have to love your cursor over the picture to see the white line boxes which relate to each item which has been annotated.

The Eastern 'downstream' section of my panoramic sketch is below.  It's looking over North Greenwich and Stratford on the other side of the Thames.

Greenwich panorama sketch towards O2 Arena (former Millennium Dome)11 x 16" pen and ink and coloured pencils
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

Ditto - the sketch on Flickr hows you what you can see - including the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.  Move your cursor around the Flickr Version to see the annotations explaining the buildings - and see if you can find the Olympic Stadium!

If you want to visit Greenwich and also sketch this view see the map of Greenwich Park (pdf file).  I was sat at the end of Blackheath Avenue just to the right of the Royal Observatory

Greenwich Park Panorama

This is my very big sketch of the panoramic view from the top of the hill in Greenwich Park on the day of the Urban Sketchers had their 2nd Sketchcrawl.

The panoramic view from the top of the hill in Greenwich Park
- complete with Equestrian Arena for the Olympics 2012
pen and ink and coloured pencils,
11" x 48" (3 double page spreads in Moleskine Sketchboook)
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

It was sketched in three double page spreads.  I'll start unpicking the panorama tomorrow and then  I can show you the constituent parts!  It includes:

• the Shard, St Paul's Cathedral and the City of London
• Canary Wharf, the Old Royal Naval College and the Equestrian Event Arena used for the Olympics and Paralympics
• the O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome)

For the record I was also sat about 30 feet east of the Prime Meridian ie 0 degrees longitude!

I got it all drawn out while I was there and most of the colour down.  However as always it takes a little longer to get the dark values reinforced which I've been picking away at last week when i had a moment.

I only saw this for the first time myself about 10 minutes ago!  Up to now I've been hoping three double page spreads would join up!

I'm thinking I maybe need to return with a roll of drawing paper so I can draw the landscape the way they used to be drawn in the past.

The Leaning Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral

It wasn't until I got home that I realised that I'd drawn that well known new tourist attraction The Leaning Dome of St Paul's Cathedral while sketching the spectacular views from the roof terrace of One New Change on Friday.

The "Leaning" Dome of St Paul's Cathedral
11" x 8", pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

I really should learn to repeatedly check my verticals because I know I've got a tendency to lean one way when it comes to verticals!

I used to draw the interior of St Paul's Cathedral and always started by drawing a vertical line right down the centre of my page so I could keep track of the verticals as I looked up and down!

See my website for more drawings of the interior of St Paul's and the view of St Paul's from the South Bank of the River Thames

Two views across the Millennium Bridge & 'Tales from the Bridge' Soundscape

Yesterday I sat adjacent to the Millennium Bridge and its new soundscape and created two pen and ink sketches of the view looking across the Thames from opposite viewpoints - before and after visiting the Damien Hirst exhibition at Tate Modern

The first one was done while sat on the Thames Pathway in the City of London - facing Tate Modern and adjacent to the Millennium Bridge.  Office workers sat next to me eating their lunch and telling stories of how to get on in the City.  People ran up and down the Thames Pathway during their lunch hour and I enjoyed the warmth of the sun while I sketched

Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge from the Thames Pathway
11.5" x 16", pen and ink and coloured pencils
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

The interesting thing about this sketch is I drew to the sound of Tales from the Bridge -  a sound installation on the Millennium Bridge.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'From Saxon times to Londinium and Shakespeare's city to our present day metropolis, London's story is one of dynamic change. With the magnificent Thames as the constant that flows through that great history, Tales from the Bridge provides an evocative soundtrack to the sights, the sounds and the people that have passed through these streets. With a wonderful poem and amazing invisible choir, it will be an inspirational part of the celebrations we are hosting across the city throughout the summer.'

It's both interesting and soothing - particularly when the chorus starts singing - click the link to see a video about it.

London’s Millennium Bridge (has been transformed) into a giant 3D soundscape. Tales From The Bridge went live the morning of the opening ceremony, and will run daily from 8am to 10pm during the Olympics.

It is the largest 3D soundscape in the world, using 3DAudioScape software (developed by Ware’s company Future of Sound, in collaboration with Vince Clarke) to position spoken elements written by poet Mario Petrucci and voiced by Mia Austen and Steven Alexander within a soundfield that runs the entire length of the bridge. In addition, at the start of each hour, an astounding invisible 3,746-voice strong choir from 73 countries – Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir – will perform Water Night, written by Grammy-winning composer, Eric Whitacre.
Largest 3D soundfield on Millennium Bridge during Olympics

The other sketch is of the City of London - including St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge  - done while sat having a pot of Lemongrass and Ginger tea in the Members Room on the sixth floor of Tate Modern.  It's a great place to take a break and avoid the hordes in the museum cafes.

Click this link for a virtual tour of the Members Room and see its wonderful view.

The City of London, St Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge from the Members Room, Tate Modern
11.5" x 16", pen and ink and coloured pencils
copyright Katherine Tyrrell

This is what was behind me while I sat and sketched Tate Modern!

A Veduta Sketch of London on a sunny day

We're having a novelty week this week - hot sunny weather, blue skies and very little cloud.  It makes a change.

It is of course all due to end on Friday in time for the Olympics Opening Ceremony!

In the meanwhile, here's the view over the rooftops of the National Portrait Gallery and National Gallery last Sunday afternoon from the Portrait Restaurant on the Third Floor of the National Portrait Gallery.  I'd just attended a "Next Generation" session with teenagers and was in need of a cup of Earl Grey!

View from Portrait Restaurant 22 July 2012 3.30pm
pen and ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook

In this "veduta" sketch you can see - from the left:

• the clock tower housing Big Ben - now renamed the Elizabeth Tower (to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II)
• Portcullis House with the very prominent chimneys (which houses the offices of members of Parliament)
• Whitehall - the centre of government in the UK
• the Victoria Tower - at the other end of the Houses of Parliament
• Westminster Abbey where Kings and Queens are crowned and future monarchs are often married
• Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square - which also houses the Countdown Clock for the Olympics
• Millbank Tower near to Tate Britain
• the central dome of the National Gallery

Note:  A veduta is a view painting which were popularised by Canaletto and others.  I'm particularly partial to drawing views and vistas and hence I'm going to use "veduta sketch" to indicate a sketch of a complex view.

The Art of Urban Sketching Exhibition - my contribution

Sketches of London by Katherine Tyrrell
for The Art of Urban Sketching Exhibition at Foyles Bookshop
16-22 July 2012

These are now on their way to the hang of the The Art of Urban Sketching Exhibition - which is happening today - starting at 11.30am!

This exhibition is being held this next week in The Gallery at Foyles, Third Floor, 113-119 Charing Cross Road. It is part of the Foyles Sketching the City Season and the Urban Sketchers London Events Programme relating to the launch of the new book about Urban Sketching by Gabi Campanario and the other Urban Sketchers.  See The Art of Urban Sketching - at Foyles in London for more details

From top left - going round clockwise - the sketches are of:

• Syon Vista (Kew Gardens)
• Syon Reach (River Thames between Syon House and Kew Gardens)
• Bankside Shoreline (outside the Bankside Gallery - home of the RWS and RE - and next to Blackfriars Bridge)
• View from the The Portrait Restaurant (at the top of the National Portrait Gallery - includes Nelson's Column and Big Ben)
• Burlington House Courtyard - on a rainy day (view from the front of Burlington House - home of the Royal Academy of Arts)

I won't split up my sketchbooks for anybody!

So in order to contribute to the exhibition I scanned the sketches, saved them as a tif file, resized all of them to A4, printed them on to Somerset Enhanced Velvet paper, restated the coloured pencil, matted them in Daler Rowney Studland Mountboard in Antique White and framed them! My better half did the mirror plates!

The exhibition also includes work by the other correspondents for Urban Skethchers London and page spreads from the book.

More pics of the exhibition tomorrow!

The Art of Urban Sketching - at Foyles in London

On Sunday, I shall be in Foyles Bookshop on the Charing Cross Road helping fellow members of Urban Sketchers London hang our exhibition of sketches of London in their Gallery.

I'll probably be posting photos of the hang and the exhibition on this blog next week!

The Art of Urban Sketching Exhibition is in The Gallery at Foyles, Third Floor, 113-119 Charing Cross Road. It is part of the Foyles Sketching the City Season and the Urban Sketchers London Events Programme relating to the launch the new Urban sketchers book. It comprises:

• prints of book spreads from the Urban Sketchers book The Art of Urban Sketching
• framed sketches by correspondents from London Urban Sketchers

The exhibition is free and is open from Monday 16th July until Sunday 22nd July. Opening hours are:

• Monday - Saturday 9.30am - 5pm and 
• Sunday 11.30am - 6pm.
• However beware that the Gallery may be closed for special events so you need to ring to check if it's open if you're coming specially to see the exhibition.

We're not having a PV however I'd love to know if you visited and what you thought of the show.

Here's the announcement as part of the list of events in the Sketching in the City season.

RIGHT CLICK THE IMAGE & OPEN IN NEW TAB TO READ
Images: top: Bankside Shoreline by Katherine Tyrrell; below: Spitalfields by James Hobbs

Tomorrow I'll be telling you how YOU can get your sketches of London in an exhibition at Foyles later this summer. [Update - see The London Sketchbook Challenge - Call for Entries on Making A Mark]

You can find Foyles at: 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB
You can contact Foyles: 

• Tel: +44 (0) 20 7437 5660 

• Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7434 1574 

• Email: customerservices@foyles.co.uk

Chiswick House - and a "lost" phone

Tree at Chiswick House
11.5" x 8", pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils in Moleskine Sketchbook

© Katherine Tyrrell

Last Friday was one of those fine mizzle days (being the product of mist and drizzle) - as if somebody is spraying you with a fine wet mist.  Which is not much good for sitting outside and sketching because the paper gets wet and then the surface changes and the drawing tools don't work.

However I sat under cover at the Cafe in the grounds of Chiswick House and sketched the tree next to Chiswick House with the drawings of Caspar David Friedrich in mind. I have a wonderful book  - Caspar David Friedrich: The Art of Drawing - in which he draws (and paints) lots of trees and other motifs within the landscape.)

This was the sketch I was doing when my mobile phone slipped out of my pocket.  (It now looks like I might get it back next week.........fingers crossed!)

It's of the Italian Garden which is a Parterre garden with a the large Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle tree) at one end, swags marking the boundaries and Bay Trees clipped to form balls.

Italian Garden at Chiswick House
8" x 10" pen and sepia ink and coloured pencils in small Moleskine Sketchbook
© Katherine Tyrrell

Italian Garden
This semi-circular garden, bordered with evergreens, with geometric flower beds cut in grass was designed by Lewis Kennedy and laid out in 1812 for the 6th Duke of Devonshire. It became an example of the massed bedding system and 19th century experiments into colour theory. The garden has been beautifully restored and provides an elegant setting to the 6th Duke’s Conservatory.

Italian Garden Parterre

The Gardens are particularly relevant to artists because of their history in relation to the Landscape Movement and to New Yorkers in particular.  Read more about the history

But there is more to Chiswick House Gardens than mere beauty. This is also the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement and the inspiration for great gardens from Blenheim Palace to New York’s Central Park.Originally created by Lord Burlington and William Kent in 1729, the garden was inspired by the sights of the Grand Tour and romance of classical Italian landscape painting; it was conceived as a single, living artwork.About the Gardens

I know I'll be going back to Chiswick:

• (hopefully) next week - to pick up my phone
• next February - to see the wonderful collection of Camellias in the Glass Conservatory.  They must be absolutely amazing then in full bloom.

The property is maintained by English Heritage.  You can download documents relating to Chiswick House Gardens

Site Plan for Visitors
A downloadable map and site plan showing some of the main features around Chiswick House Gardens
 pdf (2,201.89kb)

Map of Chiswick House Gardens
A visitor map of Chiswick House and Gardens
 jpg (1,147.21kb)

Chiswick House Gardens
Description and map for a 1.5mile walk around Chiswick House Gardens
 pdf (481.48kb)

"Let's Draw London" Sketchcrawl is TODAY 26th May 2012

We have delayed the Urban Sketchers London first sketchcrawl until Pete Scully - our North London blogger pal who now lives in California could join us.

Today we'll be sketching the area around Temple and Fleet Street.  Which means I'll be at Temple Underground station at 10:30am this morning!  Sketches and report back later.  You can read more about the Sketchcrawl in Reminder: Let's Draw London Sketchcrawl this Saturday on our Urban Sketchers blog.

PS Here's some photos by Barry of our Book Launch as Cass Art last Saturday - Launch of the Art of Urban Sketching in London