Portfolio Room from Cathy Read

St Pancras Station

Decision making is an essential part throughout the process of creating art. Decisions such as composition, the degree of abstraction or realism, the scale of the artwork and the degree of detail. All those factors come into play in the creation of St Pancras Station. Of the many photos I took during numerous photo shoots, which one captures the essence of what I want to convey? Which angle says it best? Do I want people or not? How much detail do I want to draw?
This painting was a particularly difficult one for me.
Seductive details
I love the brickwork and detailed metalwork on the station gate sign. For practical and esthetic reasons, I can’t include all the details, notably the clarity of the sign. There is so much behind it that, to include it all, would obscure the key focus of the foreground. I’m a great believer in the the less is more philosophy of design, but I do like all the details!Areas where bricks are individually drawn appeal, but the areas where the lines have space between will allow the watercolor and ink freedom to perform their own peculiar magic. You can see as much in the tower, its distinctive shape has been truncated and the clock face almost lost in the process. Priority is given to the signs for the stations both underground and overground railways at the different levels. St Pancras is a major tributary station for passengers entering London from the north and east. A landmark of the Victorian Gothic, created in red brick and sandstone details. No area undecorated, it’s been weathered over time, but is still grand and impressive. When you stop to look.How many people would look up at this point? Precious few, I suspect.

It’s a busy station. People in London are in a hurry. The pedestrians and traffic move relentlessly. To stop and stare at this point would be impossible at times. At this moment, it’s quiet, allowing me the luxury of time. Time to appreciate, marvel and, of course, photograph one of London’s famous timepieces atop its grand tower.