love letter to London

In a previous post, wonder | wander | women talked about taking online art courses as a way to get through art block and gain new illustration skills. One of those courses asked students to pick a city we wanted to illustrate, and I - naturally - chose London.

Looking at St Paul's Cathedral and the London skyline
from the South Bank

What is it about London that makes it London...to me? What do I like best about the city? I wrote down several characteristics about the city as well as my favourite places to visit. Now during tier 4 lockdown I want to look back on my favourite memories of London.

Number one has to be the museums. Most of London's museums are free to enter, and with a museum worker's card I visited many of the special exhibitions for a small annual fee, like the AI: More Than Human exhibition at the Barbican. 

I also love to see new exhibitions with friends. Going to the Tate Modern and the British Museum to marvel at bold new artists or ancient artefacts is so much fun with a friend...you turn into two kids in a theme park.

Elgin Marbles at the British Museum

That's the second thing about London I love - parks! 

St. Pancras Churchyard

Conservatories, gardens, churchyards...whether huge tourist attractions or tiny secret squares, I love the many green spaces of London.

Barbican Conservatory

The third thing I love is architecture. London was founded in 47 AD by the Romans and is two thousand years old; it's a growing trove of architectural history. And you can live and work in some of the exhibits!

View of St. Giles Cripplegate church from the Barbican Terrace

The Shard and Southwark Cathedral

Even more than that, you can put your own stamp on them. The citizens love expressing themselves on the buildings they inhabit. Like any big international city, London has a thriving street art culture, with some pieces so good the museums themselves take steps to preserve them.

Banksy, Portrait of Basquiat Being Welcomed by
Metropolitan Police, 2017.

I love this city and the way it's been shaped by the people who live in it. May it shelter us and be protected and nurtured by us for millennia more!

Clouds over East London