The outgoing river Wye meets the incoming waters of the Severn estuary along a tidal reach that travels inland for about 14 miles. I find this encounter fascinating to watch but always difficult to draw. I’ve been making river drawings for several years and currently I’m trying to picture the changing formations beneath the surface as well as the things that are carried along on top of it.
Events happen too rapidly on the river to allow for any attempt at detail. Objects travel too quickly and disappear before I can get them down. Floating tree trunks loom up and need to be avoided, seals appear fleetingly, evident by the sudden turbulence they create. If I lose an oar things get serious.
I made these drawings dealing with my fascination for the river in my studio, where I used a schematic rationale to simplify the actual experience. I imagined this as an overhead view that always contains the same four elements. The first is a detail of one of the stone platforms of the Chepstow river bridge, locating the scene; secondly, a random accumulation of floating debris, mostly logs upon the surface; an unidentified creature coming to the surface and of course, finally, the muddy river Wye itself at high tide.
I am always concerned about the reliability of my own witness – but being a witness is only part of this process – working out conventions that can stand in for all these things is really what occupies me.
