Armistice Day

Trafalgar Square

Daumier Exhibition

Daumier Exhibition

Daumier Exhibition

The anniversary of the World War One armistice - signed 95 years ago - was marked in the UK with a two-minute silence. The Royal British Legion's sixth silence in the square was recorded by the Topolski residents drawing the proceedings.

We met at Trafalgar Square just as 'Britains's got talent' winner Paul Potts appeared on stage. We'd intended to give the Wacom Inkling (a digital pen) another chance and  put it through its paces. 

Unfortunately even though it had been on charge all night and  only ever used once, the battery in the pen section packed up. I spent the first half an hour trying to purchase another battery on the Strand only to find  you can only buy it through Wacom.

Back in Trafalgar Square it was raining, and the mood was sombre, but the residents made a good go of it. I  stopped drawing at 11.00 for the 2 minutes silence due to the noise of my frantic scribbling with the shorty (a propelling pencil)  echoing down the Mall and scaring the pigeons (the bird of prey circling the Square probably didn't help).

Chloe and Laura produced some amazing  speed drawings of poppies being thrown into the fountains.

We then spent the afternoon at the Daumier exhibition at the Royal Academy. We first went to the curators talk and made drawings of the participants. We then drew in the exhibition itself until we were reluctantly turfed out due to a fire. Some great views of the back of the building on the way down the fire escape. An impromptu crit in the tea rooms followed.