An artist's path IV.

 

In spring, at sunset, the area near Richmond Bridge is excellent for practicing photography and, in my case, photo-painting. The pictures I show below were produced in 2019. They are all part of the same series. My artistic productions are a mixture of different artistic techniques: photography, drawing, infographics, painting... When I was a Fine Arts student at university I used to combine sculpture and painting, in particular mid-relief. While studying, I discovered the artwork by Spanish artist Uka Lele, who combined photography with painting techniques, mainly watercolour. In 1987 I was lucky enough to see her work live, while she was composing and shooting her artwork Rappelle-toi, Bárbara at Cibeles square in Madrid. And it was also around that time that I learned about an interesting technique used by Disney cartoon background artists, who layered flat colours, usually done with gouache or ink, with pastel gradients.

Nowadays, I start my work by shooting a few photographs of the subject. I like to work in the warm, soft light of the sunset. That is why many of my pictures are titled with the location "at dusk". Then I focus on the shot that has the most possibilities for my artistic goal, that is, for the work I have in mind. I work on that image on my computer, varying the lighting, chromaticism and contrast until I achieve the atmosphere I am interested in. The photographic image is transformed, first into a drawing, and then into a more pictorial scene. This is the infographic part, called photo-painting. I use the same applications as a photographer, a graphic designer or a digital illustrator.

To project this photo-painting onto a support, I use professional Giclée printing, with highly permanent and stable inks. I usually opt for a high quality textured paper, such as Somerset, which allows the application of artistic techniques. Finally, I paint the artwork using traditional artistic techniques: acrylics, pastel sticks and pencils and even soft crayons. I enjoy using the artistic procedures that any art student has at his or her fingertips. I am an art teacher, and I want my students to see that they can achieve very professional results with the techniques they use. 

Pastel is a very suitable technique for the images I intend to produce. Pastel sticks are made with pure pigments, and with a small portion of binder, which brings several advantages to the artistic work: the colour obtained once applied closely resembles the original natural pigments, so the artworks can be considered paintings -especially when the technique covers the whole surface of the support-, and not mere coloured drawings; pastels have longevity with respect to other artistic media; colours do not fade, remaining vibrant and lasting for generations, if the artwork is protected from direct sunlight. I am fascinated by the versatility of this pictorial medium to produce blends, gradients and all kinds of marks and textures.

The result is a contemporary figurative art, influenced by Fauve and other artistic expressions. My subjects are generally landscapes, natural or urban spaces, although I do not rule out other themes. But unlike the photographer and painter Uka Lele, I do not try to compose or alter the space I am trying to depict, to give it another meaning, but I try to capture a specific instant of light, just as the impressionists did, although I do transform the atmosphere afterwards, to adapt it to my aesthetic aims.

Boats on the Thames by Richmond Bridge (2019).

Dusk on the Thames at Richmond (2019).

Water lilies (2019).

Now, let's continue with our artists' path. We cross Richmond bridge and continue along the river path to Marble Hill Park and House. On the opposite bank and in the distance rises Richmond Hill. A number of artists have painted views from there. That of Sir Joshua Reynolds, who had a villa in the area, is one of the best known.

Richmond Hill from the banks of Twickenham.

Marble Hill House is a Palladian style villa built in the first third of the 18th century for Henrietta Howard, Countess of Suffolk and mistress of King George II. In order to achieve better views of the Thames, and also of the house from the river, it was ordered to modify the natural environment. Across the park to the north is Sandycombe Lodge, once the second home of landscape artist J. M. W. Turner. He bought the land here in 1807, and buit his house between 1810 and 1813. It had much more land than it does now, and had views from the upper rooms to the Thames and Richmond Hill. Turner did not spend long periods at Twickenham. He lived in Chelsea, at 119 Cheyne Walk. Despite this, he enjoyed his visits to Sandycombe Lodge and the Thames, a river he knew well. In the house he kept several models of boats in glass cases, which he had painted a sea and a background. The building is preserved almost as it was when the painter lived there. Turner sold the house in 1826.

Marble Hill Park and House from the Thames Path.

Sandycombe Lodge, Twickenham.

Also close to the north entrance of the park we can visit Montpelier Row, a row of Georgian houses from the first quarter of the 18th century. And in the south corner of the park is Hammerton's Ferry, the fastest way to cross to the other bank and visit Ham House and Garden. The opulent Baroque mansion was built in 1610 for Sir Thomas Vavasour, Knight Marshal to King James I, and renovated around 1675.

Ham House from the Thames.

We take the ferry again and cross back over the Thames. Almost opposite the ferry terminal is the wooded path that leads to what remains of Orleans House, an octagonal building built around 1720. The house takes its name from one of its most distinguished occupants, Louis Philippe, duc d'Orleans, and later king of France, who inhabited this house when Napoleon made his attempt to return in 1815. Louis Philippe had been supporter of the French Revolution and had fought in the revolutionary armies. He had great affection for Twickenham. After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo the duc remained here for two years, returning to France in 1817. He became King of the French in 1830. In 1844 he visited the house again, this time in the company of Queen Victoria during a state visit to England. He was dethroned in 1848. Four generations of the duc's descendants lived in Twickenham at one time or another. After the 1st World War Orleans House stood empty for several years. By 1926 it was sold to the Crane River Sand and Ballast Co, who demolished the greater part of the building and dug out hundreds of thousands of tons of gravel from the site.

Orleans Gallery and the Octagon Room.

The Octagon Room.

Sion Row, Twickenham.

Following the path we reach Sion Row and York House Gardens. Sion Row was developed in the 1720s. York House was built around 1635. Its last owner was Sir Ratan Tata, a parsee merchant prince from Bombay. Statues of Carrara marble, The Oceanides, were brought to the house's riverside garden in 1909 by Ratan Tata. The fate of the sculpture group had initially been Lea Park, the home of financier Whitaker Wright in Surrey, but he committed suicide in 1904 after being convicted of fraud, and all his property was auctioned off. Other statues by the same sculptor, Oscar Spalmach, are preserved today in Beale Park, Berkshire. Sir Ratan Tata and his wife Lady Tata were very popular at Twickenham, and used to host garden parties at York House. Ratan Tata died in 1918 after several years of ill-health aggravated by hours in an open boat following the torpedoing of his ship two years earlier. For years the statues were vandalised and neglected, until York House became the town hall of the Borough of Twickenham in 1937, and of the Greater London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in 1965.

The popularly nicknamed "Naked Ladies" at York House Gardens.

York House, Twickenham.

Not far from York House Gardens are St Mary's Church and the Twickenham Museum. Painter Sir Godfrey Kneller was churchwarden at St Mary's, and was involved in the fundraising for a new church when the old one fell down in 1713. 

We keep going along Church Lane towards the Embankment. Once on the Thames, a skinny bridge crosses over to Eel Pie Island. During the 19th century it was a popular resort for boating parties on summer afternoons. An ink and watercolour drawing by Thomas Rowlandson (1756-1827) depicts one of those gatherings. On the island, the Eel Pie Hotel had already been described by Charles Dickens as "a place to dance to the music of the locomotive band", but it was really in the early 1960s that the Eel Pie Island Hotel came to occupy a prominent place in the history of British music. Several artists -later superstars of the music market- gave their first concerts here, including The Rolling Stones, The Who, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and many others. A decade later, after a long decline, the hotel was destroyed by fire in March 1971.

The Thames as it passes by Eel Pie Island.

Bridge to Eel Pie Island.

We continue parallel to the river via Cross Deep to Radnor Gardens. On our left is Radnor House Independent School. Right here was the villa that Pope built and lived next to the Thames until his death in 1744. All that remains of Pope's villa is the grotto. Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver's Travels, visited Pope here in 1726 and 1727.

Pope's Grotto.

Passing the Twickenham War Memorial and taking Waldegrave Rd, we arrive at the last important building in this area, Strawberry Hill House. Horace Walpole (1717-97) moved to Strawberry Hill around 1747, then a cottage, and proceeded to transform the dwelling into the Gothic building we know today. He referred to it as his 'Gothic Castle' and 'Gothic Abbey'. Horace was the son of the first Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. He wrote here The Castle of Otranto, a pioneer of Gothic novels.

Strawberry Hill House.

We have reached the end of our artist's route, at least for today. From here it is easy to return to Hammersmith, by train, by bus, or using a combination of both.