I have been having some fun with blue and red ink lately. Judy of Williams of Audlem has been doing a fine job of retailing the limited edition prints of the Audlem street scene so when asked about a tea towel design, I took it as an opportunity to play!
Audlem Butter Market
I like tea towels to have fresh cheery colours, so picked up my inks and sketched some of the local landmarks and features. Audlem has a strong identity linked to the Shropshire Union Canal flowing alongside the village and there is plenty of subject material – enough perhaps for a second tea towel next year!
Here are the images which appear on the tea towel, now on sale through Williams of Audlem. They make a practical gift as well as being easy to post overseas.
More Audlem drawings in my next post – Christmas cards!
Derek (Judy’s Dad) in the doorway – Williams of AudlemPainted tea potPainted flower jugs seen on narrow boatsOxtail and TrotterWindow from St James Church, AudlemAudlem MemorialThe Shroppie Fly, Audlem
In between drawing streets and icon diploma course work, I love to sketch whenever I get a spare moment. It means that waiting for the dentist, or whatever, is now a great way of really looking at life going on around me. So waiting for our turn on a seaplane trip was one well worth recording. The flight was actually a present for Iain’s birthday back in February, but funnily enough, we ended up flying on my birthday!
We have just had a week on holiday up on Speyside in Morayshire, Scotland. It was wonderful but the best way of telling you about it is to share a few sketches.
Enjoying a drink outside Sartis Italian Restaurant in GlasgowBottles on the shelves in Sartis Italian reastuarant, GlasgowWillow Tea Rooms, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. Beautiful details on this Charles Rennie Mackintosh building.Beautiful guttersTaste of all things Scottish!Bird’s eye view from the Loch Lomond Sea Plane – stunning!
There is a sense of great relief when I complete a street drawing, even more so on completion of a pair. I have spent the best part of 100 hours on each drawing from the early sketches to the drafts, the transfer and then ink then wash on the watercolour paper. With ink, there is no rubbing out mistakes so they get to stay!
Adding the lettering is the final stage
Plus we live with a nervous dog, two Burmese cats and a tortoise which combined can be quite a handful!
Paper weight cat-in-a-roll of drawing
Yes, I do shut the cats out but Norman can negotiate door handles, walls and windows with ease and he likes to help.
So the great Bishy Road is complete. It has been a joy to draw this street – the most interactive and sociable that I have done so far. My first contact with the street began last year with elevenses at the Pig and Pastry, where this drawing began. Since then, through connections on social media, I have gradually picked up the great warmth, humour, fun and sense of community spirit on this street from simple acts of kindness such as looking after a lost dog to the generous spirit in fundraising for various charitable causes. People care here. The photographer Karen Turner, has captured the energy of this street beautifully over on her blog – it’s well worth a look.
Bishy Road full of life even on a cold January mid-week morning – especially around the Pig and Pastry and Millies!
Furthermore, there is a real sense of belonging here which the Clementshall History Group demonstrates through their blog where you can see how several shops have survived with the same use for over 100 years – that is some achievement!
As my first drawing reached completion, Bishy Road greeted le Tour de France. Now, as I wrap up the second drawing, Bishy road have entered the competition for the best Great British High Street. I wish them every success – their sparkle is the result of combined hard work, vision and commitment.
The full length drawings of both sides of Bishy Road are shown on my website Drawing the Street and for detailed views of the buildings, please visit Drawing the Detail. The original drawing is just under 2 metres long and it is not easy to reduce the image down to a phone sized view unless I crop it – hence Drawing the Detail.
Limited edition (100 only) signed giclee fine art prints (unframed) will shortly be available for sale, three sizes, 60cm (£48) 1.2m (£119) and 1.5m (£195), through Blossom Street Gallery and Framing, please contact me for further information or to reserve one. Banners are also available by request – please contact me for a quote.
Taking a slightly different view of the street here, but still drawing! The Bishy Road has a thriving and active community which knows how to greet the Tour de France and throw a street party. I am quite pleased that I have discovered one tiny corner which speaks volumes about the secret of this community’s success – a noticeboard tucked away deep in the heart of the heart of the Bishy Road where everyone can see what’s on – without ever needing to go online. I will leave it to you to guess where it is!
Creative hub of the Bishy Road
The cards and notices give a cross section of life in Clementhorpe: life drawing, yoga for adults and kids, piano lessons, playgroup, spanish lessons, gutters cleared, theatre shows, garden services, plumbing, counselling, kids coaching, kids creative workshops, acupuncture, reflexology, music nights, photography, events organiser, fish and chips – all the bases covered!
Notice board in the smallest room – somewhere on the Bishy Road
I will leave you with a flavour of the Bishy Road dressed up for the Tour de France and their street party which followed.
Showing the way to the cyclists in the Tour de FranceBishy Road Street Party for the Tour de FranceCycle Heaven, Bishy roadParty on the window tops!Bishy Road Street PartyBishy Road Street ArtistsPig and pastry sporting a spotty toaster
And finally – the whole drawing!
If you have read this far then I can tell you it is inside the door of the smallest room in…the Pig and Pastry!
The Bishy Road – decked out to greet Le Tour de Yorkshire!
This has to be the most dynamic and colourful street I have drawn so far!
The intention to draw the Bishy Road began on a spring day in 2013, over elevenses at the Pig & Pastry. It has come to fruition amidst a summer frenzy ahead of Le Tour de Yorkshire. The Bishy Road is ready! Vive Le Tour!
Now my husband is a Tour fan and having joined him to see several stages in France over the years, it is tremendous fun. For those of you who have never been – get over to York – it will be wild! The colour, music and carnival floats followed by these superhuman bikers is unmissable.
Waiting for Wiggo, Paris 2010
I understand (sort of) that for allsorts of reasons, Sir Bradley won’t be riding in this year’s Tour, which to me is a loss given how much he contributed to getting the Tour over here for us. However, I hope he will be watching as the Tour passes along the Bishy Road – York is aflame! This link to the York Press gives you a flavour.
I am running off a limited edition set of 199 prints of the Bishy Road drawing – which marks the 198 cyclists in this year’s Tour – plus one. The first print off is heading for Sir Brad of the Bish – just as a small thank you to him on behalf of this great street.
I have had tremendous fun interacting with some of the Bishy Roaders and hope to meet a few at the street party on 6th July. I only wish I had started sooner to include the opposite side and Cycle Heaven (which is next on the drawing board) but I have been burning the midnight oil to get this one finished.
Painting sky over the Bishie road
Please do click over to the website www.drawingthestreet.co.uk and have a look at the street as a whole. Prints, cards post cards etc all on their way….meanwhile, please use any screen grabs for your community use, but I would be delighted if you would acknowledge Drawing the Street. I have shared some good quality images on my website (you miss out on the detail if I scale it down), but I am a self-employed working artist and if you do wish to use the images commercially – please get in touch and I am sure we can work out rates which work well for us all. This may be my drawing, but it is also your street.
Colourful shop fronts: Frankie and Johnny’s, Rice Style, Lal Quila, Pextons, Puddin & Pie
Last of all: thank you Bishy Roaders! You really are something pretty special.
Simon at Smith York Printers in Ironbridge and me, Ronnie, with the Audlem street drawing
Whenever I finish a drawing, I scan it as soon as possible as the original often represents over a hundred hours work. Given the size of the drawings (the Audlem drawing is 2 metres long), the scanned file sizes are huge as I scan with a high resolution for the best quality prints and so that enlargements on to canvas can be made for festival banners.
The street drawings are non-standard sizes so there are not many printing firms that can handle this combination. That said, Smith York in Ironbridge is a place where Simon not only can scan, but he also makes adjustments to the scanned image in order to reproduce the best quality giclee prints on heavy watercolour paper.
Jane and Andy with the large size framed print of the Audlem street scene – soon to go up on the wall of the cafe.
The first few limited edition prints are now ready and for sale. I took the first framed large colour print along to Jane and Andy who have been running the Old Priest House in Audlem for almost twenty years. As Jane herself has been included on the drawing, it’s a great keepsake for friends and family of the part they have played in Audlem life. Thanks to you both for providing us with a top destination for many a sturdy breakfast!
When I set out to draw a street, I make thumbnail sketches and take photos. Inevitably, I photograph a few passers-by and I like to draw them too as they are an important part of the streetscape. It crossed my mind that people may wonder if they have been included on a drawing so here are a few photographed faces and the corresponding sketches.
Williams of Audlem
Set within the lovely group of buildings known as ‘The Square’, there is a shop which has been in the same family since 1862 – it’s Williams of Audlem. I particularly like the sign-writing on the awnings and doorway – and the attractive flower baskets and flags all add up to it looking very elegant indeed.
Williams of Audlem
Audlem is a cycling hub! Cyclists are hard to catch on the move but I managed to snatch a few taking off. The slow start can only be the result of a big breakfast…
Audlem CyclistsAudlem Cyclist 2013Walk and talk – AudlemStafford Street Audlem
Williams of Audlem and the Old Priest House are stocking limited edition (100 total) prints. If you would like to buy an unframed colour print, prices are as follows: small (800mm long) £95, medium (1200mm) £135 and large (1500mm) £175.
The prices reflect the quality of the print, the work involved in the drawing and include a commission to the trader. So, if you buy a print, you also support your local high street! There are also a selection of postcards from the drawing avaiable for sale. Please dont hesitate to contact me if you would like to reserve a print.
Summer people in Stafford StreetSummer People in AudlemMum and youngsters Audlem Summer 2013
My earliest memory is being held in my Dad’s arms, travelling on the train from Kings Cross to York in the winter of 1962. I was only two when our whole family moved north from Sittingbourne, Kent, up to Acomb, York.
Millies and the Pig and Pastry, York
Life has moved us all in varied directions but last year saw us clearing the last of our dear Dad’s belongings from his home. We would get going early on and set ourselves a bookshelf to clear, or a cupboard to sort but it would always be followed by a treat…morning coffee out somewhere and The Pig and Pastry was a regular treat!
So after all these years I got to know the Bishy Road. What a community – I had to draw your street!
My drawings always begin with an old OS map and this too began with the old OS street maps in York library, then a sketch. I aim to catch all the architectural details as I hope my drawings will stand as an archive of our streetscapes as they stand at present.
Pencil sketch of Bishy road – I sketch it all out full length before I work on the final drawing.
It is gradually taking shape on a 1.8 metre length of 300gsm water colour paper. For this drawing, I am working in permanent Indian inks: sepia and terracotta and using a mapping pen rather than my usual fixed width Rotring technical pen. It has more variety in the line. Let’s see how it goes!
First lines of pen and ink
Thanks for reading…oh and I have not forgotten about the south side of the street – that’s up my sleeve.
It is the big Douggie Mac Bike Ride today. It’s terrific to see all the cyclists out in their jazzy colours for such a great cause, all very chirpy and making an early start on their bid for LLangollen. I have been meaning to sketch some of the buildings close to home so, continuing in the spirit of Sketch Book Skool, I sat outside the Sheet Anchor and sketched Station Stores along with a few cyclists!
A few examples of the smiles, waves and colour below. Thanks for reading!
I’m back from a wonderful family gathering and one of the first jobs on my list was to MOT my car. I popped the car into the garage but this time, packed my pens and sketchbook as there is a building close by that I have wanted to draw for quite some time.
No 7 Brunswick street stands out as a reminder of what was once a street of elegant town houses. The building next door is shrouded in scaffolding at present but the English Kitchen was just the right size for me to complete in one hit, standing with my back to Jubilee Pool.
Look up!
Thanks to my friends who have encouraged me to get out there and draw – I completed the line drawing on the street and applied the colour at home. Here is the final sketch. Thanks for reading!
Just a short post this time as I am about to head off to a big family gathering. Thought you might like to see a few more drawings which I have completed and posted over on the main website www.drawingthestreet.co.uk. I would be delighted if you would click over and have a look.
Before you head over, a few words about the Post Office on Market Place, Burslem, below. This was a project which the Burslem Regeneration Company and my former workplace, Horsley Huber Architects had a hand in reshaping together with the owner.
Although the reinstatement of the original window layout is a relatively small job in the building industry, I do have an idea of the background work that has gone on behind the scenes by all parties to make this happen, there is more than meets the eye!
That said, this building now looks so much better and you can really see the overall impact when you look at the street as a whole.
Post Office and the Leopard pub, Market Place, BurslemBurslem Post Office before the conservation work began in June 2011
Moving down towards the west end of Market Place, there is a narrow gap, Market Passage where there is a faded mural.
The Burslem Bear
I would never have noticed the Burslem Bear had I not drawn this! A sign of Burslem’s history…
Drawing the Street 