Painting Parc Güell

Painting Parc Guell

0:00

/232.661333

1×

Barcelona has a special place in my heart because I visited the city with my family on our first overseas trip together, just after I'd graduated from high school. I didn't know much about Spain's history, mostly snippets I'd picked up from British period dramas of dubious historical accuracy that were several hundred years out of date. Despite how much I still had to learn, that trip planted the seed of curiosity that got me thinking about what it would be like to live overseas, speak another language and really get to know another culture.

Before we arrived, I memorised phrases that I'd sounded out phonetically from an A6 travel dictionary. I was quite upset when the guide on a walking tour told us that the locals preferred to speak Catalan, rather than the Castellano I'd been so busy learning. Despite that small disappointment, I was enchanted by Barcelona from the start: the history of the Gothic Quarter, the streets with their corners cut off, and the celebration of the crowd as Barça kicked the winning goal into the net we were sitting behind. But most of all, I fell in love with the unique architecture of Antoni Gaudí with its organic shapes and colourful mosaics.

What a delight it's been to revisit those memories and capture the essence of one of his most spectacular achievements, Parc Güell, for this latest commission. I chose to paint the two pavilions that flank the main entrance to the park. They initially served as the porter's lodge and residence to what was intended to be an exclusive housing estate of 60 homes. But the project was abandoned after only two of the houses had been built due to a lack of demand and, luckily for us, the site was opened as a public park in 1926.

One of things I love about painting is that it forces you to slow down and pay attention to the details before you can simplify them on the page. The pavilions are iconic buildings, full of the features that make Gaudí's work so fascinating, but due to their smaller size they feel more accessible than some of his other works. I love that the buildings are asymmetrical, and the decorations on the roofs. It feels like the pavilions have just put on their favourite hats, ready for a celebration.

If you haven't had a chance to visit Parc Güell in person, I recommend taking a virtual tour of the park. You might also like to check out Casa Batlló with its curving balconies, the Sagrada Familia basilica (the cornerstone of which was laid more than 140 years ago and which is still being constructed) or one of the other works that together comprise Gaudí's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although we tend to laud Gaudí's creativity as an individual, to me his architecture is a reminder of what we can achieve over time when we work together.

Sketches from Granada celebrates every-day moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves. I know how easy it is not to be present in your own life, and I hope these sketches inspire you to seek out those moments that are worth savouring. 

If this post resonated with you, please share it with a friend you think might appreciate it too!