Crohns and Colitis UK | Drawing the Street

Bills for breakfast — *Starting the day with tea and porridge at Bill’s, Longacre*

Last weekend we joined up with Crohns & Colitis UK fo their annual walk around London. It’s a great way to see our capital and better still, it gets the word out about the support that’s available for anyone who has Crohn’s or Colitis.

CkFv_QCWYAASh4S.jpg large We set off from Stoke Station in our purple tee-shirts. Once on the train, it wasn’t long before a lady offered us a donation; her sister was diagnosed 50 years ago, but back then it was something that wasn’t talked about at all. I found this a very moving gesture as I think that it is only in recent years that it is finally being brought to light and all credit to those who have worked so hard to raise its profile.

It was a day out for us and yes, I brought my sketch book! I’ve had my head down recently gettting on with my icon diploma work as it’s only four months till our end of diploma exhibition in Shoreditch.

I enjoy sketching on-the-hoof and my favourite sketching has to be the half minute bus/train stop sketches….they’re just thumbnail views of life on the go. Enough words – time for a few pictures!

train sketches 2.jpg — *Train stop sketches*

london bus sketch 3a.jpg — *Bus stop thumbnails*

whitehall old shades — *Whitehall, The Old Shades, gable dated 1898*

no prizes — *Opposite Condor bikes on Grays Inn Road*

Thanks for reading,

Ronnie

pen and ink on Khadi paper — Dorset House, Holloway Road

I have returned to drawing Holloway Road, the Great North Road – and paused to draw Dorset House in more detail. It caught my eye as it is quite small compared with its neighbours yet with a few faded classical details, it quietly holds its own.

Here it is in context with its neighbours:

photo of Dorset House — Dorset House on the Holloway Road

I have tried to find out a little bit of the history of the building but not got very far until today perhaps…

We have been down to London to join today’s walk in support of Crohns and Colitis UK. The walk takes place every June, and around a thousand supporters walk through the City as a fundraiser and to raise awareness of this disease.

Walking has a lot in common with drawing as it allows you the time and space to enjoy details in the landscape and architecture you might otherwise miss. In this picture, we are walking along South Bank towards Southwark Bridge and you can just make out its trident lamposts above a band of green; here’s part of the bridge in detail:

balustrading details — Southwark Bridge details of balustrading

Having only just finished drawing Dorset House, I immediately recognised the balustrade detailing and couldn’t help but wonder if it is by the the same architect. looking at the plaque, I see that Sir Ernest George designed this bridge.

ernest george RA Architect — Sir Ernest George, RA Architect, opened 6th June 1921

I love finding little details like this. If you know anything about this architect, or Dorset House, I would be delighted to hear from you.

Thanks for reading.

Ronnie

drawing out the best in our streets

Drawing the Street

Tag Archives: Crohns and Colitis UK

Porridge at Bill’s

Dorset House and Southwark Bridge

drawing out the best in our streets