Eros

Checking maps in Picadilly. A6 sketchbook © Sue Pownall 2011

Yesterday in London, having arrived early at our meeting point of Eros in Picadilly I sketched the tourists around me. I was a little concerned by a Spanish lady in woolly hat, thick scarf and hooded coat, as it wasn't that cold. We met at Eros as we wanted to see the Degas exhibition at the RA, but unfortunately as we hadn't prebooked, it was half term, and we chose not to wait the 45minutes+ to get tickets.

People at Eros in A6 sketchbook © Sue Pownall 2011

Instead my friend, the fabulous designer Mary Wright, & I went straight to Tate Modern, via the protestors at St Paul's, to see the Gerhard Richter exhibition Panorama. I was amazed at the mixture of styles from super-realism to abstraction that he uses. I can't confess to liking or understanding all of his work, but I'm very pleased we saw the exhibition. I introduced Mary to my favourite café in the Tate, no sketching as I was too busy chatting & eating, before we explored all the other exhibitions.

Next stop was back across town where we went to the National Portrait Gallery, my favourite, where I saw Marc Quinn's Blood Portrait for the first time. Something else I'm not sure about, but it is certainly intriguing. Unfortunately, we were at cultural overload by the top floors, so we went to another of my favourite cafés The Café in the Crypt.

Finally, here is a photo of a happy customer with her edition of Cuban Scenes, which had arrived in the post that day.

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Out of the handbag III (UK)

Across the river. Ink in A6 sketchbook© Sue Pownall 2011

Here are a few sketches from my A6 handbag sketchbook drawn over the last couple of weeks. Last Saturday, my parents & I went up to the Royal Academy to see their Summer exhibition, so I sketched on the train up.

© Sue Pownall 2011

© Sue Pownall 2011

 We then went over to Sadler's Wells to see the amazing show Fela!. First I sketched the musicians on stage and then the audience listening to them before the show started.

© Sue Pownall 2011

Fela! Pen & ink and watercolour in A6 sketchbook.© Sue Pownall 2011

I didn't think the sketchbook took watercolour as the pages are thin, but couldn't resist adding colour to the stage of Fela! after I returned from watching the fabulous show. It took quite well, luckily.

© Sue Pownall 2011

Wednesday I went back up to London to see the Watercolour exhibition at Tate Britain. Fantastic exhibition and very inspirational! I drew the woman doing the crossword on the train up. After the exhibition, I caught the water taxi to the Tate Modern, where I went to my favourite cafe on the 7th floor and, inspired by the watercolour exhibition, drew the view across the river. (Posted at top of this post). It took 30 minutes, which for those who know me, is a long time for me on a single sketch.