The Hidden Garden
Belmond Cadogan Hotel
Commission for 12 large paintings based on the Cadogan Gardens London
Garden squares are one of the defining features of London. Like other European cities, London has its grand civic spaces, but no other city has developed the garden square in quite the same way. London squares are different because they were built for people to live in. The layout of Georgian and Victorian squares created an ordered, spacious arrangement of streets and leafy open spaces, which has made an enduring contribution to the quality of life in London. Today, London's squares are a vital part of the city's fabric: a focus for local communities, attractive to tourists, and pleasant places for Londoners in which to live, work and relax. They can also be a haven for wildlife, important links in the green chain between the city's parks and back gardens, and occasional oases in built-up areas. In tandem with the benefits to health achieved by looking at plants and trees, the garden square has also a fascinating legacy of botanical history. Plants gathered from across the world are part of the London Landscape. These were used for medicinal properties and research, botanic gardens grow these island species in order to conserve and protect this unique flora. Wonderful species of plants and trees still thrive in these spaces. For this project, I would start with the location, history, and plant and tree specimens in order to initially work on-site in the garden square drawing and watercolor painting. Gathering inspiration and images of vistas of the space a close-up images of the plant specimens. Taking this research material I would work on a series of large oil paintings using a painting process that pays homage to the garden space.
Commissioned by the GA Group https://thega-group.com/about
