Small painting in London
 

One of the things I try to buy wherever I go is a small oil or watercolor painting of a (stereo)typical scene for wherever I am (ex: skyline for New York, french quarter house for New Orleans, etc). Would Camden Lock Market be a good place to look in London? Where are there a lot of "street artists" with fairly good paintings fairly cheap (I usually don't spend over $30, I'm planning on spending 30 pounds or less for London, if possible.) THANKS!

We do the same thing Heather. On our trip to London last December we bought just what you described at Covent Garden piazza/market from the artist. It was reasonably inexpensive and we are very pleased with it. Can't help with Camden Market as we have never been there.

Personally, I've never seen that kind of painting at Camden Lock -though there are often some watercolour sellers there.

The place with a wide choice of paintings like that is the park rails at Bayswater Road on Sundays.

Alternatively, many London antiques shops, and some secondhand book shops sell engravings of London scenes taken from 18th and early 19th century books - sometimes recoloured, sometimes in their original glory. Just to confuse you, Camden Passage (arguably London's main antiques market, a quite different market from Camden Lock: nearest tube Angel, and not operating on Sundays) has several such stalls.

Thanks to both! Honestly, I had meant to say Covent Garden Market, not Camden Lock, but I don't think my brain is working this morning! I-)

#o

Heather, as flanneruk said, Bayswater Rd on Sunday will have exactly what you want.

I do the same thing, and at Bayswater Rd I bought a small oil of Big Ben and Parliament that I absolutely love - I think it cost me 25 GBP. You can try to haggle, I think I got 5 GBP off the asking price.

There are tons of artists along the road, and it is up against the very pretty Kensington Park - so you can make a morning/afternoon out of it.

Karen