The only way to watch Olympics

Is sitting in a park.

With friends.

Olympic Apparel

They have been an ubiquitous as pigeons on the streets of London these past few weeks.  Games makers. Volunteers.

In their funky top to toe outfits. Had to catch me one.

Look, even the watch is official. It takes a brave soul to pull off those colours. But I kinda like the trousers.

So I guess they'll migrate away now, such bright plumage unsuited to an English winter. Maybe the odd flash of a cap, or a bag, will glimpse through the padded layers of coats and scarves, to remind us of that summer when...

Swiming

Went to watch the swimming marathon in the Serpentine yesterday. 

The day was amazing. You could feel the weight of the sunlight on you. Your whole body unfurling into the high, bright air. And other people were doing all the exerting.

Sketched, of course, and this is my favorite, folks on both banks, observers lost in the watching.

Even if his neck does look a little dis-jointed.

Dressed with expectation

These two were obviously off on their holidays.

Everyone around them were dressed in coats and macs, against the inclement weather that has been in damp lieu of a summer this year. 

I liked their optimism. They might be freezing, but they were set for sun. 

This was drawn quite a few weeks ago.

They are probably back home by now.

Concentration

This guy was deep in reading a printout, his earnest focus in contrast to his summery day-out clothes.

He turned the papers over, started back at the beginning again, maybe this time it would stick, or make sense, or come together.

But the sun blazed outside, and those sandals had a higher purpose.

Goodbye summer - 292 - 293

Two from the hot days behind us.

When I left for work on friday morning there was a whole sense of autumn on the way. The sky was what I call seaside sky. Grey and flat, but with a few gaps of washy blue in the distance. You know, when you were a kid and had a week by the sea, and the weather was crap, but every morning you focused on that distant patch of possible, as if by sheer kid's willpower you could bring it your way, and get a day on the beach.

These two guys were from that day of everyone in the fountain.

Never underestimate willpower.

Already a distant memory x 2

That hot spell we had last month seems ages ago at the tail end of this rain soaked August.

Caught some people cooling off in a fountain, sitting inside the basin, leaning back against the edge. But who would have thought that it would all have passed before I got around to putting them here.

Had issues with the bloke's head, two different sizes going on at once there.

Loved this guy's spine. And very pleased with the shape of it in the sketch, the line of the vertebra.

69 - a quick one.

Another quick sketch from the summer park day.

Any sapphic, numerical undertones are all resolutely in my head.