Art is everywhere, even in the city

At 21st Century we love the number 21. We've started a column to give you a sneak peek at some 21-year-olds around the world as they reach a turning point in their lives. Read on to discover what your international peers think and do.

MY name is Rachel Cosgrave. I'm a British student at Central St Martins in London, undertaking a BA in Fine Art. I start by saying this because, at the moment, university seems to define my life. This is not just as it's a full-time course but also because when you do an art degree, you tend to make art about your life.

I enjoy going out to places that have significant memories, carrying a sketchbook everywhere and being responsive to the things you see, hear and feel. It helps to be alone, a different kind of alone to being alone in your room in a big city.

For example, I recently went to Kew Gardens, a huge park in southwest London. It's a place I used to go a lot with my family. I found this hill overlooking the Thames and suddenly had a rush of memories of playing there as a child. I sat down and started to paint. It's a very physical way of painting, very earthy. I try to capture the relationship between the place I'm in and my memories.

At weekends I work at the National Portrait Gallery (again arty work!). Being at the National helps me think about my own work and how other people look at art. Paintings hung on a white wall often appear different than when paint them outside, and people look at them in a different way.

Outside, the city itself is a work of art. The buildings have their own sense of history and it's easy for me to walk out along the streets in London and become absorbed in the moment. They really remind me that you can find art everywhere you look, as long as you look in the right way.

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define 定义

significant 有意义的

undertake 承担

responsive 响应的

sketchbook 写生簿

overlook 俯瞰,

National Portrait Gallery 国家肖像画廊

Bonus points

earthy: adj. 务实的，朴实的，率真的

After dining out for weeks, he now misses earthy home-made food. 连续吃了几周饭店后，他现在很想吃原汁原味的家常菜。