p l ac e s
i m ag e s f rom t h e wor k of u r b a n de s ig n a s s o c i at e s
david r. csont
i m ag e s f rom t h e wor k of u r ba n de s ig n a s s o c i at e s
david r. csont
contents introduction Artist’s Statement
3
A Word About Plein Air
5
gallery Bundoran Farm
7
Jekyll Island
17
Liseter
23
Homestead Preserve
31
Scotland
39
Other Works
55
artist’s statement
I have always had a strong visual memory. Places and the events that connect me to them leave a strong and lasting impression in my mind. As an artist my first response is to draw or paint to communicate my ideas. I strive to tell the story through pictures that my words can’t easily communicate. The act of painting is a process that involves all of the senses. I immerse myself completely into the subject in order to draw out all of its character and hidden meaning, hoping that if I observe it closely enough I may glimpse the true essence of what makes it special. Therefore, sketches and drawings done onsite and in the field really speak to my core artistic values because they are the pure interpretation of my subject.
This book is a compilation of sketches, drawings, and paintings from my work with Urban Design Associates. Over the past ten years, a richly diverse group of clients and projects have allowed me to travel to remarkable places to observe, record, and paint their many attributes. I am indebted to their vision and trust in allowing me to interpret their ideas.
Watercolor is ideally suited for my work because it is flexible, portable, and responsive. I love to watch my sketches develop from simple contour drawings in pencil to bright and colorful impressions capable of allowing the viewer to see what I see and feel what I feel. 3
plein air painting
The French phrase, “en plein air” translates to English as, “in the open air.” Artists have long used this definition to describe the art of painting outdoors or in the field. The plein air artist strives to record an immediate impression of what the eye sees and capture the mood, light, and character of the subject. Although artists have always been drawn to record the outside world in their work, the technical restrictions of preparing media to create art was prohibitive. One needed to be both an artist and a chemist to grind and prepare costly raw pigments into paint that could be applied to canvas and panel. This complicated process did not allow for much flexibility and required the controlled environment of an artist’s studio to be successful.
pressionist School of painting were particularly interested in the influence of changing natural light on the perception of color. Artists like Monet and van Gogh made their studios portable and moved into the open air to paint the everyday scenes around them. Today, plein air painting is a pursuit that continues to captivate and challenge the finest artists in the world. Painting from real life is different form other painting techniques in that it challenges the artist to concentrate completely on the subject in front of them. Their senses absorb it all from sight and sound to temperature and atmosphere, ultimately channeling their observations onto paper and canvas.
In the 1870's, the successful manufacture of portable paint in tubes and lightweight easels, specially designed for working out of doors, contributed to the popularity of plein air painting. The members of the French Im-
5
bundoran farm
In southern Albemarle County, Virginia, about 20 minutes southeast of Charlottesville, along the upper branches of the Hardware River and reaching up into the hilltops, lies Bundoran Farm. Of the 2,300 acres that comprise this working farm, about 1,100 acres are rolling pastures, 1,000 acres are covered with mature Piedmont forest, and 200 acres are given to apple orchards yielding Romes, Granny Smiths, and both Red and Golden Delicious apples. I arrived for three days of painting in late October of 2006, driving down from Pittsburgh through the mountains of West Virginia and on into Charlottesville. The land and its structures resonated with history and character from the 18th and 19th centuries. I was captivated by the simple beauty and shape of the landscape. I remember quite vividly sitting and painting in open pastureland with the sounds of the cattle and scent of wood smoke from a neighboring farmhouse.
7
VIRGINIAN VICTORIAN
9"x12"
8
PLANTATION HOUSE
11"x14"
9
10
TENANT FARM
9"x12"
(opposite top) FROM THE FOREST EDGE
6"x12" (opposite bottom) GRAZING
9"x12"
11
CHIMNEY AND GABLES
9"x12"
(opposite) ORCHARD HOUSE
9"x12
12
13
KEYHOLE
9"x12"
14
CHARLOTTESVILLE
Virginia 2007
15
jekyll island
The new Jekyll Island Village is designed as a unique coastal conservation community with an active and vibrant Village center that provides amenities, services, and entertainment for visitors. The visitor accommodations are conceived as cottage colonies in keeping with the original Jekyll Island pattern of cottages tucked into a network of paths and lanes surrounded by live oaks and inland marshes. A new Environmental Discovery Center is proposed as an anchor within the Village center to orient and educate visitors to the island’s natural and recreational offerings. The rich history of Jekyll Island shows in its intimate character and collection of preserved historic houses. These sketches serve to document this unique heritage and reinforce the values put forth for future development plans.
17
JEKYLL ISLAND HOTEL
8"x10"
18
MARSH WALK
11"x17"
19
CAUSEWAY
7"x10" (opposite left) OUT TO SEA
7"x10" (opposite right) FROM THE VERANDA
7"x10"
20
21
liseter
The Liseter project will develop land that was once part of the Dupont family's Foxcatcher Farm. The Dupont family has a long history of land holdings in rural Pennsylvania and Delaware. A rich and colorful tradition of farming and thoroughbred horses mark the legacy of Foxcatcher Farm, their equestrian estate in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Driving to the Main-line area outside of Philadelphia across the state from Pittsburgh, the land seemed to get older and richer as I drove east. Visiting Foxcatcher Farm was like exploring your grandma’s attic. It as a virtual time capsule of 18th and 19th century buildings left to mature and decay in the landscape. A sophisticated network of fences and tree lines had shut the farm and its acreage off from the world. As the world moved on around, time had really stopped there as it waited to be discovered once again. I felt as if I could not paint fast enough to capture the beautiful light of the crisp November days I spent there.
23
BIDDLE FARM COTTAGE
9"x12"
24
THE CABIN BY THE POND
SPRING HOUSE
6"x12"
10"x12"
25
SUNNYBROOK BARN
9"x12"
26
GREENBANK FOREST EDGE
9"x12"
ROCK WOOD BARN
9"x12"
27
homestead preserve
Bath County is situated in the southwestern corner of Virginia. The region has a rugged but genteel quality due to picturesque farms dotting valleys surrounded by mountains. The area has long been known for its therapeutic hot springs. A vigorous tourist and hotel industry developed around the springs as early as the late 18th century. I visited Hot Springs in Bath County, Virginia in June of 2005, to work with Celebration Associates, the landholders and developers of the Homestead Preserve. Their vision for the future was to carefully steward development in the county to protect and promote the individual character of the region. Through several bright sunny days, I was able to work in the field to capture the richness of this place.
31
HIGHLAND CRAFTSMAN
11"x11" 2004
32
THREE SISTERS
8"x10" 2006
33
34
SCOTTISH REVIVAL
11"x14" 2004
HIGHLAND FARMHOUSE
11"x14" 2004
(opposite) MOUNTAIN FARM
8"x10" 2004
35
36
ALONG THE ROAD
Warm Springs 8"x10" 2004
(opposite) HIGHLAND VICTORIAN
11"x17" 2004
37
scotland
The opportunity to visit and paint in Scotland was made possible by a group of extraordinary projects instituted by Scotia Homes, the largest home builder in the country. The following work was developed during several visits there throughout 2007 and 2008. Primarily working along the northeastern coast, I was able to visit many small seaside towns and quaint villages. The Scottish people are warm and friendly and proud of their history. The lush green meadows bordered with fieldstone walls and ancient stone houses frame the landscape, and each new place I visited seemed more beautiful than the last.
39
HIGH STREET
Nairn 9"x12" 2008
40
HIGH STREET
Ellon Pattern Book 11"x17" 2007
41
(top) GARDEN MEWS
(bottom) CONNECTING STREET
(opposite) WYNDE
Ellon Pattern Book
11"x17" 2007
42
43
(top) TERRACE
(bottom) PARK PROMENADE
(opposite) HIGH STREET
Ellon Pattern Book
11"x17" 2007
44
45
46
(top) RESIDENTIAL STREET
(bottom) EDGE LANE
(opposite) PARK PROMENADE
Ellon Pattern Book
11"x17" 2007
47
48
RAILROAD STATION
Nairn 11"x17" 2008
(opposite) CASTLE MEADOW
Ellon Pattern Book 11"x17" 2007
49
GARDEN GATE
Nairn 9"x12" 2008
50
BRIDGE OF NAIRN
Nairn 9"x12" 2008
SCOTTISH BARONIAL
SEASIDE BARONIAL
Nairn 9"x12" 2008
Nairn 9"x12" 2008
51
SCOTIA VERNACULAR
Nairn Pencil 8"x10" 2008
SCOTTISH BARONIAL
Nairn Pencil 8"x10" 2008
52
SCOTIA VICTORIAN
Nairn Pencil 8"x10" 2008
SCOTTISH GEORGIAN
Nairn Pencil 8"x10" 2008
53
other work
This collection of pieces comes directly out of my sketchbooks. During my travels my sketchbook and watercolors are always near. Through drawing and painting, I try to record the images that will resonate meaning to me about the character of a place.
55
56
57
SPANISH REVIVAL
Pencil 10"x14" 2008
PASEO
Pencil 10"x14" 2008
58
RICHMOND WAREHOUSE
Pencil 2006
59
PHILADELPHIA
Pencil 2006
60
THE ALHAMBRA
Pencil 2007
CALIFORNIA VICTORIAN
Pencil 2007
61
(clockwise from top right) PETERSBURG
Virginia 2007 DON CAESAR
St. Petersburg, Florida 2005 CHARLOTTESVILLE
Virginia 2007
62
MORNING LIGHT
New Hampshire 2007
63
BELFORD SPRINGS
Pennsylvania 2008
64
GILLFILLAN FARM
Pennsylvania 2008
65
LUDHIANA
India 2008
(opposite) GILLFILLAN FARM
Pennsylvania 2008
66
67
68
(opposite) CREEK AT ELEKS
Zoar Valley, New York 5”x7” 2008
MONTERREY
BEDFORD SPRINGS
California 8”x10” 2004
Pennsylvania 8”x10” 2008
69
70
BILOXI
POLISH HILL
Mississippi 4”x10” 2005
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 9”x12” 2008
BRETTON WOODS
New Hampshire 9”x12” 2008
71
GEORGIAN BAY
Canada 2008
(opposite) BRETTON WOODS
New Hampshire 9”x12” 2008
72
73