'I spent days sketching by the river, on the streets, in pavement cafes, drinking it all in. All watercolours were done en plein air. I wanted to convey a fresh, romantic take on Chelsea, including key landscapes like the Albert Bridge, Chelsea Old Church and The Royal Hospital,' explains landscape artist Kitty North of her latest oeuvre, 'Chelsea: River to Rooftops,' now on display at 370 King’s Road, London, SW3 5UZ (near Bluebird)
With previous acclaimed solo and group shows across the UK, works in private and public collections from Blackrock (Merril Lynch) London to that of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth House Derbyshire, and an alumi of Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art, in the 80's, North, whose distinctive paintings segue between oils, acrylics and watercolours has returned to her Chelsea roots, 'I am enchanted anew by the magic of this beautiful corner of London.' Having spent years away living in wild, rural, Yorkshire countryside, capturing the motif, whether that be from hillside or snowdrift, followed by a stint examining urban landscapes in industrial spaces, North has taken her colourful, poetic tropes to reframe and re-examine landmark Chelsea areas by way of her looming six-foot canvases.
'My own Chelsea tale began in the early 80s when I lived in Tite Street and studied at Chelsea School of Art. At 17, I was dizzy with the artistic history and the inspiration to be found around every corner - heroes of mine like Turner and Whistler had lived here, Rossetti and Wilde too; not far away was the landscape of Mary Poppins as imagined by P.L. Travers.'
A sense of wanderlust and curiosity for the history and spirit of the area - which binds much of our community past and present - is palpable, with North settling this time at 75 Flood Street, a tucked away townhouse, with a wonderful roof terrace and vistas across the city; 'I recognised the start of a new artistic chapter. The view across the city made me feel the extraordinary was not just possible but tangible. The mesmerising Thames with its history, tides and seasons. The studios of Tite Street where entire worlds were imagined and created in pencil and paint. The houses of Cheyne Row and the lives that had been lived there.' Eighteen months later, her exhibition of watercolours - North's processes of using paint as a language and means to make sense of the world - convey not only the landscape and architecture of Chelsea anew but more importantly, perhaps, a sense of communal life.
'Chelsea: River to Rooftops,' now on display at 370 King’s Road, London, SW3 5UZ (near Bluebird) until Sunday 17 November. Open daily, 10am-6pm. For more information visit www.kittynorth.com or contact art@kittynorth.com