Painting of London: Urban Artventurin

Do you truly know the place where you live? I didn’t! And I’d lived in London for 10 years. But I wanted to see my city through new eyes, so I began a process of exploring, hearing peoples’ stories, and drawing the unique energy of each place. Join me on my journey!

1. Welcome to Urban Artventuring
   • The story behind the idea
2. The creative process
   • My background
   • My mediums and style
3. The next step in artventuring

1. Welcome to Urban Artventuring

I called my London collection Artventuring because I was curious about how I could get to know a city through other people's eyes. I felt that I only knew a tiny amount of London, and mostly just of the commute between home, work, and friends. There was so much of the city that I just didn't know. And I really wanted to. 

So, this series was a way to rediscover a city I've lived in for maybe 10 years. I think it came about through conversation with a friend around how there's just so many millions of people living in the city and everyone's having a whole totally different experience of living in the same urban fabric. I thought it would be fascinating to get sent to different parts of the city that I would never normally visit.

a. The Story Behind the Idea

So, I began with an invitation. I invited 10 people to commission me to draw a place of their choice anywhere in London. All I asked of them was to tell me a story, a personal story, of why that place means something to them.

A lot of them, probably about half, wanted to meet me in person at the location so they could talk me through their story and vision of the place, which was really powerful. It was a beautiful experience to have that direct connection with someone and to hear their stories and personal experiences of that place.

2. The Creative Process

The process was fun because I gave myself two weeks for the whole project. Every day I had a location to visit, explore, and draw. I did choose to do it at a ridiculous time of year (February!), and some days it froze overnight. I had to haul along a hot water bottle with me because I was so cold. And when your hands are freezing, it's really hard to control a pen! So, there were some moments which were quite tricky. 

But then, for example, St. John's restaurant was inside, and it was a welcome relief that someone had picked an indoor venue for me to draw. So, I could just sit and drink tea and eat some cakes whilst I did the drawing, which was lovely. But I really liked the adventurous side of it, not knowing if it was going to be raining, or sunny, and how I’d navigate that in terms of drawing. It was great fun!

a. My Background

My background in architecture definitely influenced this series. I've always been fascinated by urban spaces, the changing fabric of urban existence, and how different types, styles, and ages of buildings come together in one space. Alongside that, I'm also really interested in the spirit of place, or genius loci. And how there's a different energy or vibe to places, whether people notice it consciously or subconsciously. And I find it super interesting, when I'm sitting drawing in these places, to be able to absorb that unique feeling.

b. My Mediums and Style

I chose my medium based on what I could carry on my bike! I cycled everywhere with my little Brompton and my bag. I was able to rediscover the city through cycling and finding new routes, which was part of the adventure.

So, I had portable things - ink pens, oil pastels, and my carbon pen, which is a thin, permanent ink fountain pen. My bright botanical art [link to botanical series] is very different from my urban art. Here, I focused much more on rigorous mark making and detail, which takes a lot more time as well. But it does feel more fitting to the subject matter. But I did start blending colour with fine lines as well, so it feels like it's a hybrid of my styles.

I took a lot of artistic license with my style, which not everyone understands. One day as I sat on the bridge drawing the South Bank, a man stopped by with his two children and looked at my drawing. He said, “oh, look children, can you see she's drawn the proportions wrong on The Shard. It should be much taller and slimmer.” I was quite taken aback by that. I'm not an architectural drawer. I think I either said to them or thought about saying, “This is my perspective as an artist. It's not about drawing something perfect. It's about how you convey the essence of a place rather than being exact about the proportions.” 

3. The Next Step in ArtVenturing

I would love to create another series of ArtVenturing in a different city. Now I live in Edinburgh, and I’ve thought about who I could invite to take part in this. Would they just be friends and family or do I reach out and ask specific people who are relevant in the cultural scene or other sectors? What kind of stories would come out of this place and how would I weave together the different narratives of Edinburgh?

When I see my London ArtVenturing series as a whole collection, I feel real joy that I’ve been able to create a celebration of the places that we live. I hope when you view the collection, you can experience how London feels through the perspective of the many people who’ve created it and lived here!