From experience I know that when I set out to find what I am looking for it just never happens the way I imagine it. More often than not my expectations are not realised and I feel a sense of deflation and frustration. A period of familiarisation and understanding is required before a place will reveal itself. Even after years of tracing familiar routes and making many drawings and studies, finding subjects that respond to my present way of thinking and working is never easy. There is often a long period of going through the motions with meaningless sketches, uninspired journeys and confused thoughts.

There is a point though, when something is triggered and everything seems to align and make sense. Looking turns in to seeing. Things previously overlooked reveal themselves and a new line of enquiry and discovery begins. My journeys become exciting and alive and new possibilities become apparent.

London has always held a fascination for me. I was born and raised on a suburban estate south of the river. My father first took me as a boy on a journey by foot through London. I remember the delight of seeing the views from the river with its bridges and familiar landmarks, of visiting the museums and galleries and exploring the streets, alleyways and parks. In all its splendour, the capital seemed a world away from the suburban life.

At their heart the London paintings reflect a journey along the Thames via the South Bank heading back through the city towards Piccadilly before returning to Waterloo. It is a familiar route to many Londoners, tourists and commuters. Many of the popular places have been so photographed they seem in danger of being relegated to a London reserved for sightseers only. Such places, to me take on a sense of the theatrical as people pass through them, almost as if enacting a part in some play. As the paintings develop in the studio so the main characters evolve. A couple embracing, a man reading a map, a young girl making a call, the stage lit for the drama to begin.

I remain astonished by the impression New York has made upon me. From the many films and images I had seen, I thought that I had a good idea of what to expect when I first visited the city in 2007. What I did not foresee was the sheer physical scale of the architecture and New York’s tremendous sense of energy. The light and space is more dramatic than London with its people dwarfed by its enormity.

Over the years I have made many sketches on these walks, drawing different subjects, events, people, seasons and times of day. I have accumulated a history of memories and experiences. I remain fascinated by looking and seeing. Standing still in a city for a period of time to make a drawing is a realisation of how differently a place can be experienced. Gestural marks and personal impressions aside, my drawings examine a place in great detail - how many windows does a building have? Is a taxi headlight on or off? What colour is a road? It sounds very mundane but such details add to the richness of the experience and are a necessary record for making my paintings.

In the tranquillity of the studio I have attempted to recall the life, energy and poetry of these two stunning cities.

David Atkins, October 2011