Dragons of London....

Well, Wednesday is Sketch Day. Time for some sketch book drawings to show you what I've done as ideas. These two dragon sketches I did in London last Fall. And where better to draw them? London is a city guarded by dragons-four to be exact, that mark the "City of London" which is sort of an area within the actual city we know as London. The above dragon I did sitting in a little French cafe near Upper St Martin's Lane. Nothing more international and bohemian feeling than sipping a Cappucino, listening to Radio One's "80's Flashback Hour" and drawing a dragon- as people walk by. Anyway, I based the composition on an old etching I bought at a small print shop, and I liked the overall arrangement of the landscape, I just reworked it to include a wizard and some kind of water dragon. I like scale so hence the small figure.

Apollo and The Python

Still in London there are more dragons to be found. In the Tate Gallery, which is home to many J.M.W. Turners, there is one painting called "Apollo and The Python" It shows Apollo and a python which is guarded by a massive, flame snorting dragon. The painting is incredible and, shows exactly how "Fantasy Art" has been with us for ages. The dragon is wounded, mortally and is collapsing into an abyss after a large log was apparently dropped on it. This is the one Turner that seems to not be available as a print, postcard or in a book!!! I was so taken with it I quickly sketched the general idea down as fast as I could. Apollo would be off to the left. The dragon is also quite dark, and subtle, so it takes often a second look. What draws us in is the dragon's wounded tail-an open, fleshy raw gash(left of the picture). If you ever go to London, know that dragons lurk there....more paintings soon!