When on 19th December it was announced that London would be immediately slammed into new tier 4 restrictions broadly equivalent to another lockdown, my heart sank & I knew I needed to devise a plan to keep me motivated during the difficult winter months ahead.
I wanted to combine my love of walking with drawing from observation, activities that each allow my over thinking brain to relax. Where I live in South West London there are numerous green spaces within reasonable walking distance, and it is relatively easy to avoid crowds when the temperature is low, to find a quiet corner to hide in, even in such a densely populated area.
I have always loved walking and the headspace it bestows. I remember back to my teenage years when I needed to escape the claustrophobia of home and would endlessly pound the streets listening to taped albums back to back on my Sony Walkman. Today the choice is wonderfully limitless and I flit between music, podcasts and talking books as I march to and from my chosen destinations. Headphones help to keep my ears warm and at the same time block out distractions that threaten to invade from the wider world.
I had already been making regular drawings of urban trees during the warmer months of 2020, but these had been mainly in monochrome and concentrated on texture and light, ignoring colour almost completely. For this exercise I wanted to delve into colour, and explore the delicate shades of the natural world against the pale neutral backdrop of winter, and convey how subtly glowing hues becoming almost luminous when touched by a low winter sun.
L to R: Drawing in graphite on Wimbledon Common, July 2020; Sketchbook drawing in graphite and pastel, Morden Hall Park, Dec 2020; A3 colour pencil portrait of a pine tree in Morden Hall Park, Dec 2020; A5 colour pencil drawing made of the River Wandle running through Morden Hall Park, November 2020.
The first three images above were drawings made entirely from observation, but the colour pencil drawing on the right (a tree leaning over the River Wandle), was started in situ and completed back at my studio from memory. I enjoyed building up layers of vivid colour and noticed how pattern began to appear when no longer working from direct observation. I have to fight against my love of excessive detail, and appreciate that working away from the scene allows a new language to emerge.
A selection of A5 colour pencil drawings made in Morden Hall Park during December 2020 & January 2021
I decided to make a series of tree portraits using November’s River Wandle drawing experience as a starting point. I created a rough list of aims to refer back to as the series progressed:
Stick to an A5 portrait format throughout to force myself to vary composition and view point
Restrict myself to colour pencils only, build up in layers & explore mark making possibilities
Begin from direct observation, but finish from memory
Compose each drawing from the start rather than let the scene emerge organically & consider the entire page right to the edges
Explore colour, pattern, light and texture in equal measure, never letting one dominate
Concentrate on producing colourful uplifting drawings that showcase the abundance of green spaces in my local area
A selection of A5 colour pencil drawings made on Wimbledon Common during December 2020 & January 2021
It has now been just over 5 weeks since this latest lockdown began and so far I have finished 24 drawings in this series. I have walked many miles, which I know is important for my wellbeing, and am returning repeatedly to explore the same few locations to really get to know them intimately in all weathers. I try to remember to take reference photos, but on the whole I have avoided relying on them once back in my studio. I try not to concern myself with the end result, but focus on being present and recording moments in time. I know I will look back and be able to remember the making of each drawing vividly - the dampness of the earth, the penetrating cold, the uncomfortable uneven ground, but also the peaceful atmosphere, the variety of birdsong, the gradually extended daylight as we move further away from the winter solstice and the individual beauty in each and every tree.
I don’t always remember to take photos on location as I become so absorbed in drawing, but these are a few mid-process phone snaps.