Journey from London to Cadiz

A JOURNEY FROM LONDON TO CADIZ; CRUSTED COLOURS, CRACKLING PAINT

As part of a new Yellow House collaboration, we are happy to annouce Laura McKendry  as our new Guest Blogger. A prolific and talented artist, we have enjoyed following Laura's own blog 'Bird and Beast' where her prose-like style accompanies her visual diary. 

 Laura recently moved for a six month adventure from East London to Cadiz in Spain, with paint-boxes, sketchbooks, guitars, and young family tightly packed. We asked Laura to record her journey to Spain along with sketches and first impressions of Cadiz...

"Brown tape stretching, screeching across tops of boxes, flaps folded. Contents hastily labelled, thick black marker squeaks. Groans and huffs as shoved through loft hatch. House remains bare shell ready for new arrivals.

Few essentials squeezed into car. Ink bottles, colour pencils, nibs and brushes sealed in freezer bags. Paint tray closed, crusted colours hidden inside. Clothes tight in bags. Toys poking odd angles. Guitar neck stretches between two children, Baby Loves Spanish vol 3 sings on the stereo. Rear view mirror, house disappears.

Two days, ferry groans into Santander. Grey drizzle, five hours late. Sea legs wobble. Wrong side driving. Children whinging. Baby Loves Spanish vol 3 lost its thrill. Travel Spain’s length, broken with one night sweaty hotel stop.

 

Up with Madeline buns breakfast in Salamanca park, quick swing, slide, climb, back into car. Journey south, grazing on baguette, olives from the jar, talking future plans. Six hours plus pit stops, pull into depths of dark Cádiz underground multi-storey. Cooped kids spill out back, up steps, steps, steps, shrieking out into late afternoon sun on San Antonio Plaza. Pigeons burst into air as red scooter charges, propelled by over exuberant toddler size 5s. Baby O scans 360. Looks back once, then follows suit, bandy knees and warring cry. Pigeons swiftly raise to safe height.

One week later and I stand in seaweed slime rock pools, trouser ankles rolled. Squinting in Sunday morning glare. First page of new sketchbook, spine flattened open. Lost a 2B somewhere along Playa de la Caleta. Remaining pencil swiftly outlines iconic Cádiz skyline, resting boats in damp dark sand. Tanned, bellied man towels damp sea hair from morning swim. Clothes hang over side of sleeping boat.

 

Cádiz is crumbling, crackling paint, enchanting. Dark narrow bumpy Calles open into bright Plazas, spill out tangle of criss-cross streets and vast seascape sparkles infinitely. Over-ripe fallen oranges smashed citric sugar on marble. Fountains spill cyclical, gentle bubbling. Rough hair palm trees lean. Sand salt blasted railings peel. Cars rumble on cobbles, skirting round old city walls, through arches heading down spit neck towards high-rise and up lost into Andalusían mainland"

Sketches and words (c) Laura McKendry