Calm

This woman sat with her family around her, the Son talked loudly about what they could go and do that day, the Girlfriend chipped in with comments and her Husband asked the questions.

But she just sat quiet, listening, smiling occasionally, nodding her agreement, but serene and centred.

I know she knew I was sketching her too, but she hardly made any acknowledgement of that either.

Profile

One of the guards in the National Gallery.

He took over from the previous guard and spent a while walking around, patrolling the space, making himself aware of who was around, scoping us all out.

Although I saw him eye the previous incumbent's buttock dent in the leather seat of the guard's chair with a certain disdain and I think he was really just waiting for the seat to cool off a bit before he sat.

I also have a feeling I have sketched him before.

Postcards home

This man sat in the cafe at the Joan Miro Foundation. Writing all his postcards. Sending news home.

" Having a lovely time, but bothered by bloke sitting opposite me in cafe who keep looking at me and scribbling in a pad. Wish you were here... to go and beat him up"

New book.

Have a new sketch book. It's a sort of cheap imitation Moleskine, but I like it a lot. It's pages are yellowy creamy smooth and good for pen.

These were done on the tram in Manchester one saturday.

I liked how this guy was sitting in the seat in front of his friends, and sat sideways with his arm over the seat to talk to them. 

Nuts, Protein and Sitting.

Anyone remember that guy with the placard who used to walk Oxford Street selling his leaflets, decrying on nuts, protein and sitting ?

Just resurfaced in my mind while I was thinking what to write about another person sitting on a bench.

Time for a coffee

Got some Espresso bar patrons, relaxing with their brews the other day.

With prerequisite beanie hat and all.

She was pointing at something on her laptop screen, but I never drew the laptop !

A mochachocalattefrappachino grande to go please. 

With hazelnut syrup, it is nearly christmas.

People, sitting, various

People sitting, watching the Tate Modern installation as mentioned earlier.

Not fixed yet.

Scanner still in intensive care, but had this one ferreted away.

I called it Legs Over.

Drawn in Soho Square, a few summers ago.

Girls.

Gossiping on a sunday.

International Womens' Day

After a salsa lesson that was more stressful and sweaty than syncopated we sat, dazed, and watched the Cuban International Womens' Day shindig.  Everyone piled into the Casa for dancing, drinking and lurid coloured cake.  A young woman ran around as a sort of vajazzled swan, and rum and coke got spilt with abandon. It was like a bit like a lock in at your local, if your local had bougainvillea growing from the ceiling, and couples dry humping each other as entertainment.

Favorite sketch from that day, two women sharing one chair.

Beauty is often right in front of you.

Santa Clara

Santa Clara on a sunday was a party town. ( mind you, I think EVERYWHERE EVERYDAY was a party town, from what I saw. )

Two sketches of a couple chilling in the main square.

I liked how they were sitting.

Not entirely sure what his hand was up to, but I'm sure it was perfectly innocent. 

Three x blokes sitting, drinking.

Still on the veranda.

Two blokes sat with their beers, sketched them three times.

Like how the first bloke gets more elongated in each sketch.

If I carried on maybe he would have stretched out of all existence, like the bad bloke at the end of 'Ghost'.

After a long day's art appreciation

It's nice to get off your feet for a bit.

Kings Cross x 2

The old Kings cross Thameslink line station was great for sketching (not least because sometimes the trains were so frickin' long in coming that you often had time to conduct an entire love affair with someone before the 22.09 to Bedford condescended to drag itself by). The opposite platform was only just there, and had seats all the way along, ensuring a guaranteed array of folks. This girl was from a very late night journey. I loved her hair and coat, almost swamping her in animalistic furriness.  She was tiny underneath it all.

Now we get to use the new St. Pancras station, ( which I consider a dazzlingly  brilliant, sympathetic renovation of a great building - and to think they were going to knock it down!!! ) But there are less seats on the platform, and further apart.

But grabbed this one the other day, of a guy sitting on the floor as his mates had squeezed themselves into all the available space on the bench. Because the distance is further and the lighting less contrasting, I was aware of struggling to see the detail. And did assume some of the sketch. 

But very pleased with his knee and foot.

Trafalgar Square

There seem to be so many Tourists here at the moment, floods of students, EF backpacks.

( And no-one is leaving any day soon thanks to Eyjafjallaiokull. - Hope I spelt that right ! )

This girl was one of many sitting on the steps in front of the National Gallery. Taking in the glorious spring sun, and the view down Whitehall. And just looking, maybe fixing the moment in her mind, a memory for future days.

And you realise how much a privilege, a pleasure it is to live in such a great city. I love London. and every second I have spent in it. And for others it might just be a memory of a good trip, or a place they want to visit one day, as I think of other places, other cities. But for me London is always here. Just down the street, on the end of a tube line, just over the river. Everywhere. My city.