Waders and sketchbook

Charcoal seems to me the most suitable medium for the plant drawings. I like its crumbly fragility, making each mark vulnerable and susceptible. You can smudge it, move it around, make it incredibly black and dense or barely a whisper. It enables me to make emotive botanical drawings in opposition to the purely observational, scientific drawings of this genre. And as charcoal is derived from plants, this connection gives the drawings a sort of circularity and history.

The dampness of the river, and where my work might be shown (in a hub, yet to be renovated, next to the nature reserve), has made me think more about the type of surface I want to draw on.

I like the simplicity of paper. The drawing is then all about the image. I have been showing my drawings mainly unframed but this raises practical concerns about how to store and preserve them, especially as charcoal comes off so easily.

Red Campion, charcoal on paper, 180 x 120, 2023 | Cowslip, charcoal on paper, 120 x 90, 2022

But paper can cockle in damp environments and needs to be framed. Linen, which is also natural and plant-based, can be put on a stretcher so it won’t warp or distort and doesn’t need framing. It’s not as smooth as paper, even the extra fine linen. But the charcoal can be fixed and varnished so it won’t come off.

But I am also thinking about making my own paper from used cartridge paper (I knew I kept all my life drawings for something!) and water and plant matter from the river. And about using recycled materials – packing cases and cardboard, or driftwood from the Thames might also be more appropriate.

For the last 3 years, I have been making large drawings of wildflowers in charcoal on paper. I have had several exhibitions and so I put off this project until I had a bit more time and space to work on it. But I was planning on continuing in the same way – making more large charcoal drawings on paper, highlighting small and large plants along the Crane and at the nature reserve.

But on my second walk along the river, I am beginning to think perhaps a change of materials, approach, scale, or all of the above might be needed.

I have a small plant in my studio that I collected last visit so this time I came back empty handed – except for tons of photos and the experience of the walk.

The River Crane flows into the Thames at Isleworth next to Richmond Lock. You have to walk along the Thames at low tide through squelchy mud and turn up into the mouth which forms a cascade of fast-flowing water over steeply stepped concrete.

On day 1, wondering how I was going to get up the slightly treacherous looking steps and not wishing to be washed out to sea on my first attempt, I walked along the far bank and lowered myself onto the top step. The water was waist deep and I hoped my waders would come up high enough. They did.

I can’t say how grateful I am to be borrowing my friend’s waders. They are size 10 and have steel reinforced soles, so each footstep feels like you have a weight attached to your ankle. Even getting to the river mouth wore me out. The river bed is uneven, with large, slippery boulders that you can’t see until you are nearly falling over them. But the heavy waders helped keep my feet on the ground!

I took way too much with me: bucket, trowel, large garden spade, gardening gloves, sketchbook, art materials, water bottle, phone, credit cards(?!) and large stick to help keep upright. Next time it’s going to be phone, sketchbook, large stick.

The first thing you notice is how high the manmade walls are. At low tide the river is ankle to knee deep but waist deep in places. But it has 3, 4 or 5 metre high banks to contain the tide when it comes in.

Many of the marginal plants were hanging upside down over the edge, having been almost washed away but gripping on for dear life. Grey from the river mud.

I came across this small plant (below) growing close to the water’s edge. I was struck by how arbitrary its existence was: sure to be submerged at high tide, it was rooted in soft mud, half its roots exposed and washed by the river. I decided it would be my first drawing – and took it back to my studio. I’m not sure what it is – Google Lens thinks it could be curly kale but I’m sure it’s not!

I thought I only had about an hour at low tide so made my expedition quick – I have discovered since I have about a 4 hour window at least. Happy days!