View from under the bridge

My drawing of the bridge photographed on the bridge

I wandered along the canal until I reached the new pedestrian bridge that links Roach Road with the canal. Roach Road is one of the local roads named after freshwater fish and the others are Smeed Road, Dace Road, Monier Road and Bream Street which has led to the area adopting the name Fish Island. This location, which is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, isn't actually an island but is bordered on two sides by canals and the East Cross route borders a third side so the area has a feeling of being an island.

A locked gate revealing
an intriguing view

Apparently it was the artist Paul Klee who said that drawing is like 'taking a line for a walk'. I like the idea of starting a drawing and following where it wants to lead me so I tried to follow this maxim with this sketch of the bridge. I admit that I was tempted to interfere with the route on a number of occasions but then I would take a deep breath (plus a sip of tea always helps) and let the drawing wander where it wanted to. I did feel rather helplessly confused by all the competing lines in the composition but I had to remind myself that that was what had attracted me to the view in the first place.

While I was wrestling with not interfering with my own work I met a nice man who, having crossed the bridge, spotted what I was up to and stopped for a brief chat. It turned out that he too is an artist who, like me (and doubtless countless other artists), is more interested in the apparently mundane aspects of day-to-day life than grand gestures.