Article about Susan Harrison's exhibition:

Willow Foundation auction result

Thank you to everyone who supported the Willow Foundation auction, especially those who bought our paintings. The London Road Group artists raised £327 -- and 3p!

I'm not yet sure what the total amount raised is. But a few hours before the auction finished, the top twenty-five canvases alone had already raised nearly £20,000.

UPDATE 9 December: Just heard that the total amount raised is £58,000!

Michael: Roman Holiday VII

Largo di Torre Argentina, a square in the centre of Rome. The sunken area of the right, in the centre of the square, contains the remains of four Roman temples and the Pompey Theatre, on the steps of which Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Now, it's a cat sanctuary.


Ink and watercolour on paper, 28 x 9 cm. Click the picture for a bigger version.

Michael: Roman Holiday VI

Painting in public usually attracts spectators. The good thing about Rome is that there are plenty of other things to distract them. When there's the Arch of Constantine in front, the Trajan Market behind, the Forum to the right, and the Colosseum to the left, I don't get much attention.


Ink and watercolour on paper, 28 x 9 cm. Click the picture for a bigger version.

Michael: Roman Holiday V

Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. In the portico of the church is the "Bocca della Verita", an ancient stone face: if you tell a lie with your hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it will be bitten off.

We didn't test it.


Ink and watercolour on paper, 16 x 9 cm. Click the picture for a bigger version.

Richard - Saturday Life

Sketches and painting from Saturday's life class.

Michael: Sussex Arts Collective

I'm exhibiting at the Sussex Arts Collective "Noel" show, at the Hop Gallery in Lewes.



Friday 26 November to Wednesday 22 December.

Monday to Saturday 10.30 - 5, Sundays 11 - 5. Lewes late night shopping event: Thursday 2 December 6 - 8 pm.

Hop Gallery, Star Brewery, Castle Ditch Lane (off Fisher Street), Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1YJ.

Michael: Roman holiday IV

View across Rome: Looking east from the Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi on the Janiculum Hill.


Ink and watercolour, 15 x 9 cm. Click the picture for a bigger version.

This is a fascinating view to draw. What strikes me is that there are no skyscrapers breaking up the view. The highest buildings are still the domes of the Baroque churches (of which there are many), and the large white building to the right: "Il Vittoriano" (National Monument of Victor Emmanuel II), which is 81m high.

However, everyone else likes this view as well. I could have stayed drawing for much longer, but I was getting too many spectators to feel comfortable.

Willow Foundation auction

Stars on Canvas 2010 auction: Hundreds of canvas each created by a different artist or celebrity - from Tracey Emin to Jude Law, not to mention several members of the London Road Group. All raising money for the Willow Foundation to provide special days for seriously ill 16 to 40 year olds throughout the UK.

The auction is live now on ebay, and continues until 6 December.

An exhibition of the canvases runs from 2 to 5 December at the Catto Gallery, Hampstead.

• Bid for Liz's painting

• Bid for Sheri's painting

• Bid for Michael's painting

Michael: New English Art Club

My "St Mary Axe/Leadenhall" linocut will be in the New English Art Club open exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London. The exhibition runs from Friday 26 November - Sunday 5 December 2010.



More information
New English Art Club
Mall Galleries

Michael: Roman Holiday III

View from the English Cemetery, where Keats and Shelley are buried, of the Pyramid of Cestius. The pyramid is a mausoleum for a Roman magistrate, dating from 18BC; the city walls were built around it. It's 37m high (I couldn't fit it all on the paper), and still covered in white marble.



Ink and watercolour on paper, approx 28 x 9 cm. Click the picture for a bigger version.

Michael: Roman Holiday II

This is a good example of what I was saying about choosing somewhere comfortable to sit before choosing what to draw.

Behind me is the Pantheon: the Emperor Hadrian's temple, with the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome, even after two thousand years. To the left, is a curious Bernini fountain with an elephant carrying an obelisk on its back.


Ink and watercolour on paper, 9 x 14 cm. Click the picture for a bigger view.

But the wall I'm sitting on faces a lamppost and a MacDonald's sign, so that's what I draw.

Richard - Sketches of Bella

Something a bit different this week. Bella brought along her cellos and we had a couple of sessions during which we drew while she played. I'm still working on my painting, but here are my sketches.

Michael: Roman Holiday I

The Colosseum from the north.


Ink and watercolour on paper, approx 28 x 9 cm. Click the image for a bigger view.

When drawing in a new location, the temptation is to draw the obvious things: the big sites and tourist attractions.

However, the priority has to be somewhere comfortable to sit: away from too many crowds, and preferably where no one can stand behind you watching. Then I draw whatever's in front of me. This often means that I end up drawing something unexpected, that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

But wherever you sit in Rome, you find yourself in front of some important world-famous, jaw-dropping, historical monument.

And as a bonus, the sun shines, even in the middle of November.

Richard - Saturday Life

Sketches and painting from Saturday's life class.

Liz: Anemones always remind me of you

This is my entry to the Willow Foundation 'Stars on Canvas' ebay auction. I think. It's a bit late. You can see all the paintings by artists and celebrities here http://www.willowfoundation.org.uk/starsoncanvas

Richard - Saturday Life

My picture of Jo from Saturday's Life Session.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, final stage

Final stage of this print -- at last.



Seven-stage reduction linocut, 24 x 17cm.

The view is from High and Over, the highest point on the road between Seaford and Alfriston, looking north over the Cuckmere Valley towards Wilmington Hill.

Richard - The Registry Office

Something a little different this week, with Jane alternating between 2 poses for 20 min at a time and changing costume each time. I really needed another hour or so to tidy it up. Someone suggested I call it 'The Registry Office'.

Michael: Family pawtrait

Mr and Mrs Cat proudly show off their new kitten.

To be sold in support of the Willow Foundation (Stars on Canvas auction, starting 25 November 2010).

Acrylic on canvas, 20 x 20cm.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 5

Stage 5, stage 4, stage 6? This print has been dragging on so long, I think I've lost count. However, the latest darker layer has been a big jump forward: the details appear, and at last, the end is in sight.



One more stage to go.

Or maybe two.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 4

Another, darker, green layer. Some of the fields appear.



The tones in the earlier layers look more "correct" now that this mid-toned layer is in place.

I thought that the print would need only two more layers, and that this would be the penultimate one, but now it looks as if there will still be two more after this one.

Michael: Guy

My drawing of Guy from Saturday's life drawing session:



Pencil on paper, A3.

Richard - Saturday Life

My picture of Guy from Saturday's session.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 3

Third stage: A blue-green to yellow-green blend over the previous layers. The trees on the distant hills appear.



This layer looks too dark. Or are the previous ones too light?

I'm hoping there will be only another two layers to complete this print.

Richard - Saturday Life

My picture from Saturday's life class. Pen and acrylic on card.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 2

A slightly darker version of the blend that was on the first stage, but still trying to keep the tones light.



The clouds and the river appear. That's the sky finished, at least.

Michael: Chrysanthemums, probably

Two hours to draw three-and-a-half chrysanthemums? Where does the time go?

Actually, some of it was spent deciding whether these were chrysanthemums. Or dahlias. Or Michaelmas daisies.



Ink on watercolour paper, 20 x 20 cm approx.

Richard - Isle of Thorns #5

Last night started another picture based around the Isle of Thorns area of Ashdown Forest, but this time on a much larger canvas. I'm still not quite happy how the shapes are work together, but its coming along. Watch this space ...

Sheri - floral still life

Here's my painting from tonight's LRG session, a still life of a rose I quickly pruned on the way out the door. It's in oil, completed in one session.

Michael: Cuckmere Valley, stage 1

First stage of a new linocut. I've cut away a few marks that I want to stay white, and then printed a blended layer from ultramarine blue to yellow ochre to a blue-grey mix.



Not much to see yet. Forcing myself to keep the early stages as light as possible to create more contrast with the darker, later stages.

Richard - Saturday Life

Michael hard at work on his picture of Guy!

Michael: Guy

Today at the life drawing group, everyone produced some inspired work with our new model.

Here are my three warmup drawings, and a longer pose.







Pencil on paper, A4 or A3.

Michael: SGFA Private View

Last night, we went to the Private View of the Society of Graphic Fine Art's 89th annual exhibition. It was at the Menier Gallery in London.



As we reached the gallery, I saw something in the window that I recognised.



Remember that?

The exhibition was opened by Victor Ambrus, the illustrator whom you might have seen on Channel 4's Time Team.

As we left the exhibition, we spotted a couple of shady looking characters hanging round the gallery. Obviously up to no good.



We've reported them.

Photos by William de Wilde.

London Road Group: Live

The London Road Group had a stall at the craft fair at the Jubilee Community Centre in East Grinstead, showing the wide range of art that we produce. I managed to grab a few shots of the stall before the crowds rushed in.

Richard - Saturday Life

Sketches and painting from Saturday's life session.

Michael: They're coming

Craft Fair
Saturday, 2 October 2010. 10.30 - 4.30.
Jubilee Community Centre
Charlwoods Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 2HL.
www.jcceg.co.uk