These are both copies of famous pictures by William Blake. The first is Nebuchadnezzar, who went mad and was condemned to eat grass.
The second is more obscure, sometimes called 'The Emanation of the Giant Albion', in that user-friendly way Blake used so often. This is one of four figures standing around the monument, surely one of the most powerful war memorials anywhere. This is The Driver.
This statue stands in front of Ham House. It's made of Coade stone, a synthetic stone manufactured and sold by Mrs Coade, back in the 18th century. The recipe was lost for 200 years, but rediscovered recently after chemical analysis.
I've drawn this several times over the years. It's the gateway to Richmond Palace, dating from Henry the 7th's time. Elizabeth the 1st died here. During and after the civil war much of it was pulled down, so there's not much left now.
I like to practise by copying masters from the past. This is from Rue Transnonian, by Daumier, 1834. At first sight it might be a Hogarthian satire on drunkenness, but it's much darker. It'a actually about a massacre of cirizens by soldiers, in their own hones, in Paris that year. I drew it with a Fude pen.
The V&A's cast courts are one on the wonders of London. I spent an afternoon there and drew these: Brutus, by Michelangelo; Madonna and Child, also by Michelangelo; and a woman whose sculptor I forgot to note down, but who is French, 19th Century.
![]() I was invited by my friend Nikki Clapp, who has a studio on the island, to show some drawings at the Eel Pie Island open weekend, 8-9th December. So here's the studio, with some of my drawings on display. One of the sales was the brown ink drawing of boats moored on the island that is here on the blog further down.
This wreck of a boat is on the marshes at Blakeney, north Norfolk. It looks like it's been there for years, slowly merging with the mud.
This is one of two drawings of mine that have been shortlisted in a competition held by The Richmond Magazine. The other was Boats Moored at Eel Pie Island, posted on here earlier.
There's an online vote for 'the people's' choice, and mine and all the other shortlisted pictures can be seen here: https://www.essentialsurrey.co.uk/art-comp/ The river isn't just pretty, it's a working river. This floating crane was moored up at Twickenham for several days. On the day I drew it, I started when it was lying on the riverbed tilted an an angle, and when I finished the water was lapping over the embankment.
Drawn on the spot and worked up later. I liked the confusion of boats, in varying states of dilapidation, and the old cabin in the woods on the island.
|
AuthorI love to draw. I draw the area I live in, I draw London, and many other things. Archives
October 2020
Categories |