Living just outside Oxford, I sometimes take the trip in and do some drawing on a Sunday. With the University and various historic buildings, there is quite a bit of opportunity for this but sometimes it can be a bit too busy. So it is sometimes nice to mix it up a little and go and draw something else, with the Cowley road to the east of the city centre being something of a favourite.

So last Sunday I went back and had a shot at drawing Rick’s Diner and the Baltic Cafe. This is a view and a series of shops that I’ve drawn before, except from a different angle. For those of you who follow my blog – some might recognise these buildings from another post – https://bryanmatthews.org/2022/10/25/sketching-shops-on-the-cowley-road-east-oxford/

Setting up outside the Methodist Chapel opposite, here are a couple of photos of my view:

Here is a view of my sketch nearing completion… the cyclist riding while looking at their phone also just being part of modern life…

While I was drawing there were two outstanding comments from passers by-

The first was a rather stuffy “there are more interesting things to draw”! (oh-well, back to the Ashmolean to draw statues then…) and the other was “It is easier to use a camera” (yes I know – but that rather misses the point).

Later I scanned my drawings and put them together – here is the result:

Later I started adding some watercolour – this is as far as I have gotten so far…