As a dedicated observer of art and architecture, I have been drawn to the Cathedral of All Saints since the 1970s. Awed by the cathedral’s ambitious scale and the integrity of its traditional Gothic construction and decoration, I have spent many hours over the years attempting to represent the building on paper in a way that conveys something of the experience of being there. Each time I have made the effort, I have thoroughly enjoyed being in the cathedral’s presence, contemplating the power of place. Each time I have wondered about its builders and stone carvers, its monumental scale and of course what it might have been if completed. Paradoxically, I am always a little less than satisfied with my resulting drawings and paintings. So I return to try my hand again.
On Sunday, May 25, I was grateful that the cathedral was open for artists, offering yet another opportunity to experience the visual beauty and power of the Cathedral. Since it was a warm and sunny day, I began with a drawing of the choir and its flying buttresses from Elk Street before entering and attempting a sketch of the crossing. This time, instead of trying to accurately record the architectural structure of the space, I resolved to try to capture the feeling of being present here. Impressionist Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) famously stated “It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character.” I have not reached that point yet, but as with the Cathedral, being finished is not necessarily the point.
Mark Peckham recently retired from a career in historic preservation and public history, having served in the City of Seattle, the New York State Historic Preservation Office, and the New York State Bureau of Historic Sites. He lives on the Hudson River in New Baltimore and volunteers at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston. Mark’s parents were married at The Cathedral of All Saints in 1937 and he has been drawing, painting and finding inspiration in the Cathedral since the 1970s.