Charming London

This cute little coffee truck adds colour and charm to the Canada Water square. I was enticed by the aroma of steaming coffee on a cool spring morning to buy a cappuccino and make an initial sketch which I completed back in my studio.

The Norwegian Mission Society opened a mission in Rotherhithe in 1868. I loved painting the elegant symmetrical architecture with the central roof tower and the pleasant garden path leading to the main door.

Founded in 1613 by mariners Peter Hills and Robert Bell to provide free education for children, this charming three-storey red-brick building showcases the elegant symmetry typical of Georgian architecture, with sash windows, stone dressings, and a central entrance framed by a fanlight. Above the doorway, I have captured the stone figures of a boy and a girl in period school attire.

This is one of my first paintings I made during the lockdown of 2022. Initially I intended it to be a drawing only but later coloured it. This glorious local parish church was built by John James in 1715 and the tower, which was completed in 1747 is unchanged in it's appearance to this date.

A quaint museum dedicated to the Brunel family, builders of the world's oldest tunnel under a river. This views shows the building which held steam-powered pumps used to extract water from the tunnel.

The Old Dock Offices were a central part of London's maritime history at the Surrey Docks. I have painted this enchanting little red brick building which boasts a clock tower with a fishscale slate pavilion roof and a weathervane above that contrasts with the modern 'skip' shaped building of the Canada Water library in the background.

A triumph of civil engineering built by the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19th century, the Thames underwater tunnel was built as a pedestrian pathway from one end of the river to the other under the river bed. It is closed now to the public now, but the original entrance to the shaft stands proudly in orange and turquoise.

The cute little building maintains it's village station charm. You can almost see and hear the steam trains as you pass by it's red brick facade that is dominated by the bold orange sign.

I was inspired to paint this gorgeous interior of the cute and cozy music room in a golden yellow, bright red and deep blue. It features a tiny stage for intimate theatre, music and dance performances which I have had the pleasure to enjoy on many magical evenings.

The Rotherhithe area, amongst others, has beautifully preserved 18th century warehouses that have now been converted into stunning modern buildings. Their original charm and period features have been carefully retained which I have tried to depict this lovely independent film studio and costumier.