National Portrait Gallery and Pearl & Groove Life Drawing

I enjoyed a very creative afternoon with my friend Alex yesterday starting at the National Portrait Gallery to see the BP Portrait Award exhibition and ending the evening with a figure drawing class.

The prize winning paintings at the National Portrait Gallery were interesting and I was particularly moved by the second place prize winner, Silence by Bo Wang (centre image below).
It is a striking portrait of his grandmother who was in the final stages of terminal cancer. I certainly had an emotional response to this painting especially after reading the artist's thoughts behind the piece.

The first prize portrait by Clara Drummond of her artist friend Kirsty Buchanan entitled Girl in a Liberty Dress had an interesting connection having just visited the William Morris Gallery last week. Both artists were working on an exhibition with the William Morris Society Archives and you can see the influence of his colour palette and intense pattern details in this work.

Admission to the BP Portrait Awards exhibition is free and runs until the 4th September at the National Portrait Gallery.

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We made our way to Portobello Road for 7pm to attend a life drawing class lead by artist Bella Franks at Pearl & Groove bakery. This is my second drawing class at P&G with Bella who is an enthusiastic and friendly host for the evening.
The model Vanessa, was also a dancer as could tell from her beautiful and elegant poses. A 20 minute break at half time gives you chance to enjoy some of the gorgeous cakes the Pearl & Groove girls make - this time it was a sweet and delicious Pistachio and Rose cake. Very yummy indeed.

Here are my sketches in graphite pencil and charcoal. The longest pose was 25 minutes and the majority were 3 minute - 10 minute poses.

Quick 3 minute warm-up sketch 4b pencil

20 minute study 4b pencil

Tools down - its break time! 25 minute study in charcoal

20 minute sketch in charcoal

15 minute study in charcoal

I thoroughly enjoyed my creative evening and would certainly return for another life drawing class at Pearl & Groove.
The next events are on the following dates at this lovely venue:
Wednesday 10th August
Wednesday 24th August

Neon lights and Elizabeth I

My good friend and I took some time out to enjoy the last few days of the Neon artwork at the Lights of Soho gallery. The exhibition centred around the late God's Own Junkyard artist, Chris Bracey who mastered the magic of Neon adverts during a 40-year career in advertising and commissioned artworks (read more here).

Afterwards we popped over to the National Portrait Gallery for the Late Shift and got involved in the weekly free drawing workshop there. The theme for the evening was to select a figure from any portrait then transport them into a different environment (background). It was such a relaxing way to spend an hour or two. We chose the Tudors Gallery and decided to sketch Elizabeth I.

The portrait I chose dated from 1588 (an adult Elizabeth) and my friends was around 20 years earlier and showed her as a girl.

What do you think? Look at the beautiful details on her costume! Such bling....