Crossing Tower Bridge by Cathy Read

Viewing collection Bridges Clear context

+ 11 images

Cathy Read

Crossing Tower Bridge

Watercolour and Acrylic ink

49 x 38 cm (19.29 x 14.96 in)

Paper size: 52.5 x 40.8 cm (20.67 x 16.06 in)

Inv: 1025

£740

Despite the details in Tower Bridge itself, my eyes are drawn to the water. It undulates before my eyes as the deep Thames Water flows past and out to sea. Tower Bridge is the last proper bridge on the Thames before it becomes too wide to span. The issue of large seafaring vessels overcome by the spectacular bastules, which raise in an impressively short time. We are looking at both of them, the midpoint marked by a Black Rod, need to check what that is, to the far left of the expanse, optical illusion, distorting our view. There’s nothing shy about Tower Bridge. And yet much of what we see is facade. It’s an Iron Bridge in all but appearances. The stone supports, which of which we see one, are the only part that rely on stone.

Tower Bridge glows in the sunlight, golden stone contrasting with the cool blue and white of the bastules and railings. Structures like these dominate any image they’re in. Eventually though, we notice the people on the bridge. A couple walking towards us whilst everyone else walks away, into a pressing crowd in which individuals vanish and a single crowd formation remains. Besides the couple, a white van vanishes into the sky as a taxi emerges from behind.

The rest is using the new miracle material of steel, which was state of the art at the time Tower Bridge was built but respect for tradition and aesthetics resulted in this brilliant new construction being hidden away behind stone cladding.

Creation: Masking fluid is painted onto watercolour paper to create an image. This is covered with a watercolour wash and covered with clingfilm. The picture is further developed using acrylic inks once the film is removed. The masking is removed after several layers are added and allowed to dry. Revealing the final picture.
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