A research project using illustration to investigate the history, folklore and landscape of Great Britain's longest river. By combining reportage, archival research and illustration studio practice, my aim is to produce work that encourages an engagement with this environment and the lives (past and present) that are connected to it.
Upton-upon-Severn to the Queenhill Viaduct (M50)
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I adopted a ‘downstream, upstream’ route for this walk (as I did in Worcester), which fits in with my usual practice when location drawing. I often drift around a location and do a sort of lap, making mental notes of places to draw, before committing to a prolonged drawing. Obviously if something fleeting catches my eye whilst I’m doing this I try to capture it with a sketchbook or camera. My plan for these river walks is that I spot potential drawing sites walking to the mid-point and then engage in drawing on my return.
This stretch of the river is quiet, and the path hugs the bank quite closely passing through farmland and flood plain. The unusual buildings of Upton help create a picturesque view, behind the sheep grazing. There are points of industry along the way-large vessels which I believe carry sand dredged from the river (certainly a subject I will return to draw) and what looks like a water treatment site.
The directional signs that populate certain stretches of water appealed to me-those strong graphic shapes against the green and brown of trees, river, mud and water make interesting compositions. The ‘visual language of the river’ is maybe something to consider here?
This particular concrete monster stretches across the wide green fields and makes the river look like nothing more than a stream. Standing underneath it reminding me of Concrete Island by J.G. Ballard. I was completely alone (apart from a herd of cows eyeing me suspiciously),with the traffic thundering overhead unaware of the land, river (and me) beneath them. The pillars look like skyscrapers and as they curved away into the distance and it gave me the impression of a strange row of abandoned skyscrapers. The walk itself was rather uneventful, and I met few people apart from several fishermen (all men) staring vacantly into the muddy water as the drizzle set in. The weather made me realise a rather obvious limitation of my methodology...paper gets soggy...which makes drawing a little tricky! So, under the cover of the M50 I made my solitary drawing of the day.
Having some sort of umbrella when shelter isn’t available and being less precious with the drawing (working more quickly) will also be ways around this problem. This walk made me realise the importance of having a GoPro capturing the journey. Back in my studio, I could review all the photos, some of which threw up interesting and unexpected viewpoints and compositions, which could make for interesting illustrations. I also like the way it captures the drawing process.
One aspect of walking by the river I am enjoying, is watching the ripples and swirling patterns that the currents generate. Strangely relaxing yet ominous, because I am aware of how dangerous this river is. Whilst walking in the drizzle, I filmed the raindrops as they created circles on the river’s surface. Making simple animated GIFs of the river’s different movements could be an interesting experiment. Exploring that space between illustration and animation seems to be an essential area of study within this project.
Walking this loop, once downstream and then in reverse, provided me with a good understanding of this small, but busy section of the river. The stretch is dominated by Worcester Cathedral and the reasons for its proximity to the river requires further investigation. It could be an indication of the river’s importance within trade that helped fund the cathedral. but being near a main transport artery must have helped in the delivery of the raw materials in its construction. It is the site where the remains of the ‘Cockleshell Pilgrim’ (assumed to be one ‘Robert Sutton’) where discovered. The account of his pilgrimage, written by Katherine Lack ( https://spckpublishing.co.uk/cockleshell-pilgrim-pb ) initiated this entire project. I made some work inspired by this story for the ‘Enchanted Environments’ symposium at the University of Worcester, which can be seen here: https://ardillustration.com/the-cockleshell-pilgrim . There are several small platforms at the water’s edge that suggest cr
When I began investigating the River Severn, my research went in several directions such as stories of fishermen, flooding, battles, folktales and industry. I decided to combine these early investigations into one illustration, in response to the Cheltenham Illustration Award 2020 call for submissions. The brief was to respond to the statement ‘I Am Many Stories’, which seems to me an apt way of describing this river.
These drawings are made from archive photographs and documentary footage that show the now rare practice of lave net fishing. The moments before and after the photos were taken intrigue me and I can imagine the men wading into the river, then visualising huge salmon leaping into their nets as they stand in the freezing water, hoping for a catch.