looking up

(urban sketch)                                    (added Photoshop)

crisp

Happy Days

Maybe it’s the dreary weather but I seem to be drawn to the neon lights at the moment.  Here is an interior view of the relatively new Diner just down the road from ‘Forbidden Planet’, opposite the tram stop.  

Good for milkshakes.

Big Mamma American Diner

83 Church Street

(opposite Church Street tram stop)

Croydon

(urban sketch)

the bar at TGIFridays Stratford

Two urban sketches with some watercolour added later from a trip to TGIFridays at Westfield Stratford.

rosemary

dandelion clock

pushing up daisies

working like a dog

trophy

The Germans are playing at Wembley on Saturday and for once English football fans don’t have to worry about it going to penalties.  The match, between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, will decide the Champions of Europe.  I sketched at the ’Uefa Champions Festival’, a very corporate (and cold) event being staged next to Westfield Stratford shopping centre, where fans were queuing to have their picture taken with the trophy.

(urban sketch)

Borage?

Lots of this growing in the garden at the moment - I think it's called borage but I could be wrong!

Correction 
This is in fact a drawing of green alkanet!  Thanks to http://halcyonhours.blogspot.co.uk/ for putting me right.

Everything's gone green

peony

'Tour de Penge'

 The annual ‘Tour de Penge’ cycle ride took place today and I went along to sketch while the cyclists were preparing for ‘Le Grand Depart’.  Men, women, children and, even a dog in the back of a trailer, set off to ride to Greenwich.  The event, started several years ago by a local resident, is part of the Penge Festival and you can see a full list of events here http://pengeandcatorcouncillors.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/penge-festival-2013-schedule-of-events/

(urban sketch)

trees in Dulwich Village

Brrr!

at the 'Edible Bus Stop'

As The Chelsea Flower Show opens this weekend, another more public garden will be officially opened in Landor Road SW9 on Saturday.  Nicknamed ‘Stockwell-Henge’ by locals because of how it looked when the stonework was first installed, the garden surrounds a busy bus stop and is being planted with fruit, vegetables and herbs.  The finishing touches were being made whilst I was there, including the installation of some lovely wooden benches. There seems to be a genuine community spirit about the whole project.  You can see the garden from the 322 bus or visit http://www.theediblebusstop.org/ to find out more. 

Cupcake heaven

PMT (Positively Marvellous Temptations) held a baking masterclass at 'The Great Croydon Bake Off' where I was drawing at the weekend and Amanda who was doing the demonstration, asked me if I’d like to go along and draw in their tearooms.  Always keen to find new places and people to draw I went along this morning.  Opened 18 months ago, PMT make cakes and cupcakes, host cake decorating parties and offer special Afternoon Teas. Everything is made from scratch on the premises.  

You can take a look at their cakes here http://www.pmtcupcakes.co.uk/ 

PMT

231 Lower Addiscombe Road

(opposite Addiscombe Tram Stop)

Addiscombe

Croydon

email: info@pmtcupcakes.co.uk

cloud study

escalator

urban sketch

figure study

The Great Croydon Bake Off

Four enthusiastic bakers battled against each other (and the weather!) today in the second part of the Great Croydon Bake Off.  The contestants were asked to make both a savoury and sweet bake and produced an amazing selection of delicious looking and tasting food. 

The bunting goes up in Matthews Yard.

The contestants

Spirits remained high despite the weather!

 To find out the result, visit https://www.facebook.com/CroydonBakeOff

Under the bridges in Borough Market

Bakewell tart

I’m sure this shop-bought cake will be nothing compared to the food being created at
‘The Great Croydon Bake Off’ this Saturday. 

Exchange Square, just off Surrey Street Market is the venue for the event, where 4 local amateur bakers will produce savoury and sweet bakes in an attempt to be crowned the best baker in Croydon.  It’s free to come along and gets started at 11.30am with cookery demonstrations throughout the afternoon.

I’m going along to make some sketches and capture the flavour of the event in my sketchbook.

To find out more about the event, go to https://www.facebook.com/CroydonBakeOff

Cafe faces

The dog on the train

The Clock Tower in Brighton

The Clock Tower in the centre of Brighton has been draped in clothes by one of Finland’s leading artists, Kaarina Kaikkonen, as part of this year’s Brighton Festival.  You can just see the clock faces peering out beneath dozens of shirts! 

The Brighton Festival runs until 26^th May and you can find out more here http://brightonfestival.org/

For more information on the artist and her work at the festival, go to http://www.mutualart.com/OpenExternalArticle/Artist-s-Statement--Kaarina-Kaikkonen-on/39BE26938D1DA3BC

Bluebells

coffee and chat

continuing up the garden path

London Planes

up the garden path

To be continued...