RDS Recommends with Elizabeth McCarten
Elizabeth McCarten is a painter of Anglo/Portuguese descent with a strong interest in light and space. Her recommendations take us from Portugal to London, revealing how her personal inspirations influence her work as a tutor.
Elizabeth graduated from The Drawing Year in 2013 and currently teaches on various courses at the School.
Elizabeth McCarten in the studio
‘Casa Das Historias Paula Rego’ Cascais, Portugal
A Summer highlight was visiting, ‘Casa Das Historias Paula Rego’ in the seaside town of Cascais, Portugal. Cascais is a short journey from Lisbon and it is a magical place to visit with beautiful beaches. Entry into the museum is €5 and has a fantastic collection of her Drawings, Etchings and Paintings. It also has a lovely garden and café where you can enjoy a refreshing drink and relax.
Inspiration
Paula Rego is an artist I like to reference in my Life Drawing: Observation and Imagination classes, it’s impossible to not find inspiration from the wealth of work she created throughout her life. She is able to use a combination of narrative, allegory and drawing from direct observation in the most imaginative and inventive ways, shining a light on both the social and political issues in which her work is rooted in. Rego is someone I have looked at since a young age and continues to inspire me in my adult life.
A couple of examples that were in the collection: Military Manoeuvres (gouache and acrylic paint on paper on canvas, 1975) and Dog Woman (graphite on paper) 1952
Dog Woman by Paula Rego
Play
Allowing ourselves as adults to play through drawing, creating a space where we can take a leap or a risk on a different approach is where I feel the most productive and energised to avoid that feeling of ‘stuckness’. I like to bring this to my teaching particularly when exploring imagination as it is such a personal experience!
Lisboa Patisserie, Golborne Road, West London
If you’re in London and have a craving for a little taste of Portugal I would recommend, Lisboa Patisserie on Golbourne Road in West London. This is a special place to me as I have frequented this cafe from a young age with my mother who is Portuguese. I don’t think their packaging has ever changed and I always feel a sense of comfort picking up a box of delicious Portuguese pastel de natas or a bola de berlim. Their sweet, delicious pastries make a great studio treat with a cup of tea or coffee!
