The old Liaison and Paradise Street flats – works in progress

When the weather is cold and grey or it is raining, one of my favourite spots to draw in Oxford is from the Central Library.

Back when the pandemic was raging, the library was also something of a haven from the crowds outside. These days it seems that things are pretty much back to ‘normal’ (or is that a new normal?) and it is pretty busy again. Sometimes it can be difficult to even get a seat. But when I can manage it, it’s quite nice to sit and draw from one of the side windows – and not be disturbed for an hour or so.

There is always building work going on in Oxford and one of these projects is the building of new flats on the corner of Paradise Street and Castle Street. I’ve done a couple of drawings of this as the construction has progressed and the mass of scaffolding and concrete appeals to the urban sketcher in me – especially when compared to the rather dusty and dilapidated Liaison Pekinese Takeaway next door. I guess this must be a listed building of some sort otherwise it would have been bulldozed in short order an incorporated into the rest.

Here are some of my photos and sketches so far – documenting the changing fabric of this particular part of Oxford