A Map of West Sussex Architecture

'A Map of West Sussex' is a collection of ink drawings of houses and cottages in West Sussex, England. Its main aim is to highlight the stylistic diversity of the region’s traditional architecture.

It will become obvious, from browsing this series of drawings, that I have a preference for the ‘golden hour’, evidenced by the glaring light in which all my subjects are bathed. Arguably, this is a misrepresentation of the proverbial bad English weather but, since this is a collection of ‘house portraits’, I thought it fair to show the houses in their best light, as one traditionally would with a human portrait. And indeed, albeit rare, the sunlight does bring out beautiful shapes and contrasts that would otherwise be difficult, if not impossible, to represent without the use of colour.

The perfect harmony between man-built structures and nature is a feature of the English countryside which I find particularly appealing and fascinating. Through considerate choice of materials and colours, these country houses and cottages are able to complement the understated elegance of the English gardens and the landscape surrounding them. I found ink drawing to be the perfect medium for depicting this variety of forms, materials, textures, as well as the air of nostalgia surrounding old English architecture.