
By Nicholas Garland OBE
During the London Olympics, while the athletes were competing and the crowds were cheering, there nestled away in the corner of the stadium was a quiet observer scribing away with a notepad and pen. No, it was not a journalist (although he has contributed to the
Daily Telegraph); it was Nicholas Garland OBE, a leading political cartoonist.
Garland was commissioned by the Mayor of London to document The Games through sketches and illustrations. For the last year, his work has not seen the light of day (at least I've never heard it mentioned before), but now, at an
exhibition in City Hall, Garland's drawings have been put up on public display, and will be available to view until the 31st July.
As well as using gauche, watercolour, and ink, Garland also made wood cuts, all of which capture the exuberance of the crowd, energy of the competitors, and spirit of the nation. Prints will be available for sale, as well as a special book; all the profit from sales will go towards The Legacy List, a charity set up to support the legacy of the 2012 Olympics.