Sleeping Ocado driver

This Ocado driver was asleep on the 49 bus heading down the Kings Road. All the windows on the bus were steamed up. I had been to Kensington High Street.  I received a lot of email reminders from Ocado to book early to avoid disappointment over the Christmas rush. Seeing the total exhaustion of the sleeping driver I felt sorry for him.

Being seated on the Northern Line always feels like a privilege.  This man got on at Elephant and Castle. Gradually I became aware of a stench around me, it became so bad that I didn't breathe properly between London Bridge and Bank. All day I kept revisiting the smell, I thought I had trodden in something foul and kept checking my shoes. It was the man.

Fabric Tower

These fabrics are piled up by the staircase in Angela's house. I was drawing them whilst the sun burst through an open window with the very long lace curtains blowing in the breeze. I was trying to finish the drawing before everyone returned from a tennis game in the next village. Angela had told me that she had obtained the revolving rack the bundles of fabric were stored upon from the drapery department of Dickin's and Jones. Each of the bundles is in fact an antique french bed spread and has a beautifully written label attached to it with string. I made two of these drawings and one of them I gave to Angela when I left. Whilst I drew a mouse came and watched me.

Perfect symmetry?

    

Half term, traveling on the Northern Line en route to Selfridges with Pearl I spotted a classic sleeper slumped in a seat clutching a bag on her knee part retreated under her wig. Went to Selfridges bumped into someone we knew.... On the way home I spied a second sleeper slumped in the equivalent seat in the carriage holding a bag on her knee and similarly snuggled under the shelter of the wig. Perfect symmetry.

Garrance is a lurcher, she has legs that are so long they look like they could get tangled. This is her stirring from a deep sleep after she became aware that she was being watched.

Fishing kids

This family were busy fishing by the port in Cabo Pino. I walked around to the end of the harbour wall to paint the men fishing but became captivated by this scene. The family had strong Northern accents. It was the first week of the summer holidays but the children were so brown with sun bleached hair it seemed that they may have been in that climate for a long time.  They had a system for luring the fish towards the boy on the end with the fishing rod. The dad was in and out of the water adjusting floats.

Another sleeper on the Northern Line

It is quite remarkable how many people pass their journey on the Northern Line fast asleep. I am fascinated by the internal body clock that certain individuals clearly possess that can allow them to sleep up until they have reached their station. Then they casually alight. This man was in no way phased or flustered and under my close scrutiny did not appear to spend even a moment wondering where he was. He slept for at least seven stations then casually woke, picked up his bags and got off.