Palace Mag July 07
By Chris Thomas
You may not think you know Pat Barrow’s work but most have you have seen some of it, some of you every day. And most of us have probably sat on it! For Pat has designed the patterns for the seats on the Victoria, Bakerloo, District and Piccadilly lines for London Underground and also for the Routemaster buses.
She currently teaches Painting and Drawing at Bromley Adult Education College including oils and watercolours. She has designed ceramics for Hornsea Pottery and Heales, ran her own knitwear company, has her paintings in private collections in New York, Dubai and London and exhibited in the Milan and Paris fashion show.
Is there anything artistic you cannot do?
Well, the good thing about having a degree in textile design is that you can turn your hand to almost anything. You have to be good at the basics of painting and drawing so it is an excellent foundation to get into other areas.
When I was doing my degree I took an option to do a ceramic pattern course, which opened another avenue.
Also, if I am teaching a specific course I make sure I brush up on my techniques, i.e. with oils and watercolours for example.
You seem to have balanced a career with all the glamour of international exhibitions and design and running your own business to lecturing. Why?
Teaching and lecturing in art is something I really enjoy and I get great fulfilment seeing my pupils develop. I have been lecturing on and for the last thirty years in fashion, ceramics, textiles and painting. I usually do it part time as its regular income and give me the time and income I need to concentrate on my art.
How do you go about designing the seats for an underground carriage?
You start off meeting the interior designer and livery designer to agree the colour concept. We would work with no more than five colours, as any more would look too busy.
Also you were slightly constrained by the way the cloth was weaved as you could only have two colours going across the loom at one time but if you were clever you could blend them together to make a third colour.
Pat’s Victoria Line seating
I did design the pattern for the front of the uniforms for the staff on Virgin Cross Country Trains. With a lot of the work I did with the Transport Design Consultancy there were other design teams working and overlapping on the same projects so you were never sure if your design would end up as the final one. I also worked on design for the Eurostar trains. Different countries did designed different parts of the interior and exterior but I lost out on that one!
What is it about painting that attracts you?
I really like the way the light and weather conditions affect a landscape. I like painting the same area at different times of day and in different seasons, as you can get completely different compositions.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m looking forward to going to exhibition in the London Transport Museum after Christmas where some of my work will be displayed (and accredited!).
I’m looking forward to having a small studio built in my back garden and I can concentrate on my painting and hopefully look to organise some exhibitions.
How did you end up in Crystal Palace?
I have lived in West Norwood and West Dulwich, then after a divorce I needed to find somewhere in the vicinity where I could get good value for money and some outside space. Crystal Palace fitted the bill.
What do you think of the area?
I’m really pleased I moved here. It’s lively and buzzy, with great pubs and restaurants. I really like the White Hart and Numidie, which have a really special atmosphere. I’m only 10 minutes walk from the Triangle. My children are in their twenties and they love it too.
What would you like to see happening with Crystal Palace Park?
I read in the last issue of the Palace that there were some plans for giant greenhouses. I think this would be a great idea. Something like a mini-Eden project would be fantastic. The Park definitely needs tidying up. There are some really nice parts but also some really ugly parts.
Pat Barrow is available for private commissions and tuition. Call her on 07939 444 961
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