Have you ever had problems with anti-terrorist police while you've been drawing? There's a report in today's Guardian newspaper about artist Liam O'Farrell who was questioned by police while painting the Tate & Lyle factory in east London, with his back to City Airport. "I'm hardly a terrorist, I'm watercolouring," said O'Farrell. "No one paints factories," replied one officer from the airport's specialist unit.I attracted police interest while drawing the Houses of Parliament (above); they were concerned I was undertaking "hostile surveillance". I let an officer look through my sketchbook and he couldn't have been more friendly. In fact, I felt I could have made a sale if he'd been off duty: "Ooh, are you professional then?" he asked, a little impressed (I like to think).
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Once I was drawing the deserted stairs of a subway stop, in Lisbon:
http://bonecosdebolso1.blogspot.com/2008/12/metro-av-roma.html
The security officer saw me in the surveillance monitor and came to ask what the devil I was doing because it was forbidden to stop around there.
I told him to go and get the police but, meanwhile, I finished mi sketch.
I haven't ever been accosted by The Law, but I have a vague recollection of it being an offence to depict airports, railway stations etc.....or maybe that was during wartime? Not that I was (quite!) around then!
I looked this up and found it's technically illegal to photograph railways in Latvia!
No, that's not happened to me and I'd be well annoyed if it did. No-one paints factories? What about Lowrie, he should have said. Why would a terrorist want to spend time painting something when he could take a digital photo? Crazy times.
This is a great drawing though, really like the way you've handled it! and you added the anti-terr'rist concrete blocks they have now too. Good work!
Actually, Pete, he did mention Lowry. And the police shouted: "Don't, don't, don't get smart with us." Not the time for an art history lesson apparently.
Wonderful drawing and story to go with it. Also fun to read the other stories in the comments it has attracted.
A friend of mine, a fellow children's book illustrator, was careless enough to allow himself to be seen sketching a group of school kids in a public park. he was surrounded by hostile teachers in a moment and almost had to phone his agent to corroborate his story.
great sketch and story and I ended up in a police station in Nouakchott while they checked if I had official buildings in my sketches, I could hear them on the phone saying- no! there are only donkeys and street sellers!!!
Lovely drawing!
I had a similar experience at the American Embassy in London. Waiting in long queue for a visa, I began sketching some of the other people.Then I drew a fire extinguisher, below a security camera. A "suit" came and demanded I show him what I was doing.It was not pleasant.(And that was years ago!)
Baden Powell sketched butterflies and at the same time put the placements of the guns enemy in the images. It is a precedent!
Really excellent work! I like it a lot. Limited colour palette works very well.
I had a hassle taking some night photographs of the old Toronto Stock Exchange a few years ago (cool art deo reliefs). Way too many silly little bureaucrats everywhere now.
Eheheeh...but the draw is BEAUTIFUL !!!
The last sentence made me smile.
nice work man. It was interesting to read about the photographers then reading about the sketchers.
I often get kicked off of rooftops when I'm doing cityscapes (well, they allow me to take the stairs but still)..
I just read that article, wow that is incredible. Such harassment! And i like how he mentioned Lowry twice.
I was harassed while sketching in a Davis park by a mother who thought I was drawing kids that were playing about 40 yards away from me. I was really annoyed about it. For one thing I was drawing there before they even came along.
the last sentence also made me smile. everything can be discussed or negotiated.
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