Surbiton Odds And Sods

St Raphael & The Bird (detail), Fountain Pen and Watercolour, 25x35.5cm, Fabriano paper.

Maple Road, Watercolour and Fountain Pen, A5 etchr pad.

I have made various attempts to extend my range during lockdown, like drawing buildings – a previous blind spot and something I still struggle with not making wonky! And these apart from St Raphaels are currently exclusive to this blog, not uploaded to Instagram, they are outtakes. The first is a view of my road, with St Andrews Church designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield behind which I have painted before – and I would again if I could get another view that was socially distanced!

The whole area is a mid Victorian estate designed and built by two people, and has similar towers on the ends of the blocks to the church. You might recognise the ‘towers’ image from my work. The sad story of Subiton and Thomas Pooley is reminiscent of ‘Once Upon A Time In The West’ – I’m not joking, lands, railways, shenanigans and town building – only missing a lone gunman! He wasn’t who built these houses though, he was long dead by then.

Surbiton Clocktower #1 - Naturally Chinese, Kaweco Fountain Pen, A5 sketchbook — Surbiton Clocktower #1 – Naturally Chinese, Kaweco Fountain Pen, A5 sketchbook

Surbiton Clocktower #2 and bus stop, Bus Shelter Series 0121097, Kaweco Fountain Pen, A4 sketchbook — Surbiton Clocktower #1 – Naturally Chinese, Kaweco Fountain Pen, A5 sketchbook

The next two I’ve been sketching clocktowers – another form of tower we get a lot off around here. Ever since the hands blew off the Surbiton Station clocktower in February – something I saw as a bad omen and then we had the lockdown hit – I’ve been more conscious of them. The first is on Brighton Road, a co and is where the Chinese is, was sketched while I waited in lockdown for a takeaway – it’s a more modern building than the others around here. The Clocktower proper is a war memorial I sketched while waiting for a bus – I plan to finish this!

St Raphael & The Bird, Fountain Pen and Watercolour, 25x35.5cm, Fabriano paper. — St Raphael & The Bird, Fountain Pen and Watercolour, 25×35.5cm, Fabriano paper.

The painting of St Raphaels was started early in the lockdown, I did the drawing in spring and ran out of time and always meant to go back…it actually took months with the combination of weather, forgetting my seat, forgetting to bring the drawing, etc. I think interesting it shows how my drawing and work had come on, for the time I got back to it I felt I could do better job but was stuck with the original lines.

This church was built by Alexander Raphael, a Catholic MP, I’ve just found out! Rather arrogant to get it named after yourself thought that was a big no-no in the church. Amazingly it was built as a family chapel. How big was his family!? Also doesn’t seem a rather lucky saint.