sketching in Lewes on a sunny spring day

Lewes castle from Baxters Field

toward the castle from Chapel Hill

A couple of weeks ago we had a brief spell of wonderful weather, and I managed to get out and enjoy the sunshine and spend some time sketching
I am planning to paint Lewes castle from Baxters field for this year's Christmas Card, so now was a good time to go, before all the leaves come out, and imagine the snow!

I am happy with the loose breezy but sunny feel to these sketches, and have framed them up, ready to exhibit in Chalk Gallery later this month.

Painting the Mayflower Pub at Rotherhithe

drawn out in ink...love the clean white paper ready to paint!

first colours, earthy and fairly monchrome

blue sky brings in some cheery colour

ooh that black contrast helps, and the first bright splashes of pink and yellow

all the colours on...I may have missed a few spots. has it come alive?

I have really enjoyed painting this historic little pub on London's river bank. I have roots in this area, and so do so many people across the world! The Pilgrim fathers began their journey from the steps beside the pub, fishermen calling at Londons docks could call in and buy a stamp, and my ancestors build barges just yards away.

A painting of The Mayflower pub, Rotherhithe

Sketched out plans for a little pub in Rotherhithe. It has steps to the river and a jetty to sit out on that you can get rather wet feet at High Tide. In older times was called the Spread Eagle, and is also a registered Post Office for sailors.
Re named because the Pilgrim Fathers began their journey on the Mayflower here before calling at Plymouth. The captain is buried in the churchyard nearby.
My ancestors were barge builders here, and one was a church warden at the church where the captain is buried.
Lots of possibilities of who should go in the pub!

Dirty Dicks - an old corner of Bishopsgate

Nathaniel “Dick” Bentley was a Bishopsgate merchant in the mid 18^th Century. Tragically, his fiancée died on their wedding day. The wedding breakfast lay untouched for 30 years and the heartbroken Dick never washed or cleaned up again.

The dirty warehouse was known all over London, could the story have reached Charles Dickens and inspired Miss Havisham?

The original warehouse was demolished but the pub capitalised on the story and at one time was almost as dirty as the warehouse itself, beer puddles on the floor, cobwebs and dead cats hung from the cellar ceiling.

 Bishopsgate is seeing phenomenal changes, but still small sections, like this corner just past Liverpool Street Station, cling on and remind us of how things once were.

An old corner of Bishopsgate, London

sketching out plans for the pub

all drawn out with some extra characters

now for the fun bit!

Time for a new London pub! Dirty Dick's pub in Bishopsgate caught my eye some time ago. I then found a little book about it in my Mum's things, so I know that she had been there at some time with my Dad, when he worked in the city. The pub tells the story of a wealthy city merchant, Nathaniel Bentley,  that owned a warehouse in Bishopsgate. His wife to be died on their wedding day, and it is said that from that day he never washed or tidied again. The wedding breakfast lay on the table for 40 years.
At one time there were several dead cats hanging from the ceiling in one of the cellar bars, but these have been tidied away. It is still a very old pub inside with wooden booths and lots of small areas to discover!
Charles Dickens may have been inspired to create Miss Havisham by the story of the merchant, but then every old London pub seems to have a Charles Dickens connection! He has to go in the picture, anyway!

Tilikum's tail sells for over £1500 at Whalefest

A quick update, the tail I painted for Tilikum was signed by the wonderful Jean Michel Cousteau and raised over £1500 for Whale Fest. Such fantastic news : )

The tale of a (whale) tail - for Tilikum

picking up my tail from the pod at Brighton

first coats and primer

blues and purples for icy seas and night sky

and on the back, Tilikum's dream

The spirit of Tilikum in the Northern Lights

For Tilikum, where he should be in Icelandic seas

and the tail arrives at Brighton ready for Whale-fest

 I was invited to paint one of 56 steel tails to raise awareness of the 56 whales and dolphins in captivity, that should be swimming in the biggest and most beautiful aquarium of all, the open sea.
I picked Tilikum, it was a lucky dip. When I researched more I found out more of his sad story. He is currently stuck at SeaWorld in Florida in a very small tank. He should be swimming with his family in Icelandic waters. Whale fest is on this weekend, 14th and 15th March. This tail will be signed by one of many famous supporters of World Cetacean Alliance and auctioned to raise funds for this cause.