Jemima Broadridge is a‘plein air’ (outdoor) artist who draws buildings and street scenes – and occasionally people. Her focus is on capturing urban decay, graffiti and derelict buildings in south east London. She highlights the plight of many of our landmark buildings.
Here she writes about her illustrations and how she started drawing:
“Having lived in southeast London for 10 years I have made it my mission to try and draw attention to these London landmarks that need saving.
I rekindled my art practice during lockdown, following a gap of 20 years.
With little formal training – just an O level, an A level and foundation course at City Lit adult education college in London – I started off by drawing the views in Brockwell park, looking towards Herne Hill and also from the top of Ruskin park in Denmark hill, looking towards milk wood road, capturing the london skyline.
“However these drawings were quite faint and not very confident – but over time I started to develop my own style, using mixed media: ink fine-liner pens, pencil, felt tip pen and watercolour.
Later I began to focus on capturing the fascinating array of buildings and colours in Deptford Market. I was living on Telegraph Hill at the time, in New Cross so was able cycle down to Deptford and Peckham easily.
” I started documenting Deptford Market and then moved onto New Cross and Camberwell, before I found my main subject – Rye Lane, Peckham.
Aged 17, I studied drawing with an architect called Mike Gill.
“Mike taught me that all you needed to do was to sit outside regularly, for half an hour a day, and draw-in the fresh air-sitting on a stool in front of your subject. My inspiration really comes from his lessons-and the other ‘plein air’ artists I’ve met in London.
“I was inspired to draw buildings and street scenes because I’m passionate about the history of London and also about saving buildings.
“During the early nineties I became the media spokesperson for the campaign to save Spitalfields Market which was under threat of demolition and redevelopment. I also campaigned to prevent the wholesale destruction of the Bishopsgate Goodsyard site – which sadly happened.
“I was following in my father’s footsteps. He saved the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington, which is now the Business Design Centre, plus around 11 churches in Islington. He also helped prevent the Regents Canal from being filled with cement in the 1970s with the presenter and ecologist, David Bellamy. He also helped save the German Gymnasium in Kings Cross, which is now a very successful cocktail bar.
So my interest in old landmark buildings originated partly because of his influence.
Now i draw mainly for pleasure and stress relief from working full-time in PR. But I also fulfil commissions, and enter competitions.
“My next plan is to organise an exhibition of drawings of south london with a group of other ‘plein air’ artists like myself who I have met during the course of my budding art career. “
Jemima’s illustrations can be found on her Instagram drawn_to_south_london