I spent a bit of time in London last summer, staying with lovely friends on Clerkenwell Green. I took to meandering within and around Clerkenwell’s borders, taking photos of interesting, inspiring and quirky scenes, buildings and objects with an eye to making drawings of them later. (You can click on the images to make them larger).

In anticipation, I had made a concertina sketchbook by carefully folding and tearing an A2 sheet of gorgeous Arches watercolour paper. I bought the paper from Stuart R Stevenson on Clerkenwell Road – my favourite art supplies store – a veritable treasure trove of arts and crafts materials. I always have to enter with a carefully thought out shopping list to avoid being bedazzled into over spending. The shop is depicted on the right below. 

Wesley the Wheaten terrier can be seen loitering outside the Crown Tavern on the left (above)…he’s always up for a pub visit when he’s out for walkies, much like his people!

Above are some mainly animal related details I came across in St Barts the Great Church (just over the Clerkenwell border in Spitalfields), the Charterhouse Chapel (Barbican) where the greyhound, wood carved pew ends are the symbol of the man who financed the building, and Eagle Street (Clerkenwell, close to Cowcross Yards).

Click to see a video of me leafing through the whole book here. 

The sketchbook is mostly pen and wash with some coloured pencil, marker pen and collaged elements.

Below is Wesley’s best dog friend Henry, a very charming and vocal little chap, hence the big collaged Bow Wow Wow! 

Huge thanks to Wesley and Henry for their wonderful hospitality, and that goes double for their delightful people too.