At Christmas time, even the contents of my coat pockets become festive. My coat pockets sometimes become a partial record of my nights. This time they included: Christmas-themed erasers that were props for a pub quiz organised by some people at work; a condiment from the McDonald’s on Regent Street; […]
Yearly archives: 2013
73 posts
Yes, carrying a giant teddy bear is normal, and no, I’m not looking. Of course, I shouldn’t react to someone carrying a large soft toy, but something like that does attract attention. I did my best to be British and sober about it; I ignored it and looked away. This drawing […]
No cash left, nothing but (clean) napkins in my pocket after going out. It was a busy day and the evidence is in the different napkins I found in my coat pockets. Medium: Digital drawing on iPhone Date drawn: 29th November – 1st December 2013 A video of the drawing being created:
Standing room only on a train and I get a view of someone’s scalp. It’s a beautiful world. Thursday evening on a packed train towards Herne Hill. I hold onto the handrail with my left hand and draw with great difficulty with only my right. Unusually, because of this hand […]
Ohhh, so it’s pronounced ‘Paul clay’! This Klee painting wasn’t good enough to make it as a postcard in the gift shop. I didn’t know anything about Paul Klee until the reviews came out for Tate Modern’s exhibition. On a visit at the Tate I learnt much about Klee and his […]
Cold showers are not ideal in winter. The boiler at my place has broken down, just as the temperature has fallen significantly in London. After two days I thought I’d brave it and have a unheated shower, no matter how cold – politely put, it was invigorating. My landlady lives […]
On the Tube, sometimes my view can be blocked by someone’s bum, newspaper or crotch. This claustrophobic scene is an indication of how overcrowded this metropolis gets sometimes. Sketched quickly on a Tube journey, much of the details of this interesting view was drawn afterwards when I returned home. Medium: Digital drawing […]
Winter has arrived in London. Coats and scarves are now essential until July! Sketched during the rush hour, over the course of a week I drew most of this on my subsequent journeys on the Tube. Medium: Digital drawing on iPhone Date drawn: 4th – 12th November 2013
After a long day at work, it’s nice to be heading home. A journey home on the new carriages on the Metropolitan line. Modern and clean – I can’t complain. Medium: Digital drawing on iPhone Date drawn: 31st October – 3rd October 2013 A video of the drawing being created:
It gets even more crowded at Victoria station. On a northbound Tube on the Victoria line during the morning rush hour there are seats available at Brixton, but after Stockwell – no chance. There’s space to stand comfortably until Victoria, when additional passengers squeeze in tightly. The scene I sketch is […]
No seats, no windows and standing next to the toilets. First Capital Connect trains make me feel so special in the mornings. I try to use the Tube as I normally get a seat, but today I chose the train and experienced the situation I like to avoid: standing all […]
I know what you’re feeling like, I’m tired too. On a train from Birmingham New Street station to Euston, during the journey I drew a man resting. Medium: Digital drawing on iPhone Date drawn: 21st October 2013
Believe me, at Legoland I did more than drink coffee. I joined my family, all adults, on their trip to Legoland. The rides were good fun and the models were fascinating, it was impressive to see Lego used in such creative ways. The coffee break was early in the day, […]
I think I was the only one in that coffee shop not writing a movie script, some poetry or first novel. Whilst waiting for a train, I sat and drew in Caffè Nero for a hour, even though I didn’t buy anything, as it was far better than the overcrowded and […]
The wrong prices always go up: Energy prices soar 10.6% I normally try and avoid picking up the ubiquitous free papers, but during my journey home on a Thursday evening I began reading the headlines from someone else’s newspaper. There was no good news and that is why I normally […]
This is not a time for fruit and veg. I normally eat healthily at breakfast time, but that day I was starting a secondment at work – a sideways promotion – so I felt an unhealthy and heavy 6-inch Subway breakfast sandwich filled with processed meat and eggs was deserved. There was […]
Popcorn, good enough for breakfast. It must have been 9am when I managed to get to the bus stop as the first part of my journey to work. I always wish I could get to work earlier, but there’s lots to do in the morning at home and I doubt […]
It can get very hot on the Tube, so always carry water – and a facecloth. It was on a Tuesday evening rush hour on the Victoria line after I finished work when, from Oxford Circus to Stockwell, opposite me sat a postman regularly mopping sweat from his face. I […]
Things to do on a bus: Draw, apply make-up and file one’s nails. Taking the number 196 bus from Herne Hill to Brixton, I sat at the back of the top deck, there I was able to observe a lot of different activities. One woman in front of me on […]
I experienced food envy on my way home. Is there any etiquette to follow when eating on the Tube? One fellow passenger focused solely on his evening meal, without making eye contact with anyone or anything else. He had bitten his food to leave a perfect cross section of his […]