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The artist behind the atlas
John Crosland,
watercolour artist.
I paint places that stay in the memory: sunlit stone, quiet streets, working harbours and the shifting colour of the Mediterranean.
Background
A life shaped by
looking closely.
I studied at the Central School of Art and Design in London. Travel has remained central to my work ever since, particularly the architecture, coastlines and everyday details of southern Europe.
Dividing my time between Cambridge and Cyprus gives me two different starting points. From there, the atlas has grown through journeys across Puglia and Basilicata, with paintings of Matera, Monopoli, Alberobello, Ostuni and the smaller towns between them.
My watercolours are not intended as exact records. I simplify buildings, connect washes and let edges dissolve so the finished painting keeps the atmosphere of being there. What matters is the light, the character of the place and the fragment that remains after the journey.
“I’m not trying to describe every brick. I’m trying to keep hold of how the place felt.”
The work
From journey
to painting.
Each work begins with observation, sketches and photographs gathered while travelling. Back in the studio, those references are edited into loose, expressive watercolours with visible paper, granulating colour and lost-and-found edges.
The finished paintings are reproduced as made-to-order fine-art giclée prints on Editions Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm paper, with print-only, mounted and framed options.
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