East of London Bridge

‘East of London Bridge’  © Peter gander 2013

Looking east downriver of the Thames towards WWII battleship, The HMS Belfast (where my parents once took me when I was about 12) and Tower Bridge behind it, backlit by the low morning sun. The pointed tower of Canary Wharf, where I am currently freelancing at Ogilvy & Mather, seen in grey in the background. A simple combination of two favourite colours, Winsor & Newton Payne’s Grey and Cerulean Blue capture the essence of the morning light. A dryish brush dragged across the tooth of the mould-made paper acheives the sparkly water effect. The shelter, by Hay’s Galleria at London Bridge (south side) is just by the Clipper pier where I get my morning boat to the Wharf, a mere 10 minute ride, despite the fact that the tower looks like it’s a hundred miles away down the snaking river. Winsor & Newton watercolour and waterproof pen on 210gsm handmade Indian Khadi paper sketchbook.

Happy Birthday Fiona!

Our bench © Peter Gander

It’s Fiona’s birthday today and this card that I painted for her is of a sailboat-shaped bench found on the shore at Whitstable, where we sat after our first date about 4 years ago. Winsor & Newton watercolour on 300gsm Jackson’s (UK) Eco Cotton Rag (medium rough).

The Kent Cultural Baton, painting 2/5

Old boat, Margate Harbour © Peter Gander

Using a bolder Pentel this time, I sketched this neglected boat, draped in a mesh over its front end that reminded me of a sheet over a dead body. Certainly this boat has long been forgotten, but gets an extra bit of attention today. My son Jack (10) said “Even an old boat looks good when it’s painted!” True enough. Pentel waterproof pen and Winsor & Newton watercolour (half pans) on Langton 100% cotton mould made 300gsm paper.

France: Pork joint and French beer

French beer & glass © Peter Gander

We bought some pork belly from the butchers next door to my brother’s house. With some dexterity and a little artfulness, he swiftly took out the ribs from this joint, attached a sliver of fat around the base and wrapped it up snugly with string. Fiona was to cook it later, along with the previous vegetables painted on the previous post. What better to slake your thirst whilst painting than a chilled bottle of French beer too, (although I begrudged having to ‘wait for myself’ to paint it before I could finish it off!

Pork Joint, Navarrenx, France © Peter Gander