Posts about pictures and paintings that I am working on
Anywhere can be beautiful. ‘Beautiful Moments’ shows Clifford Road behind Norwood Junction Station at sunset with a young couple walking happily together into the evenings adventures.
You can see the original painting as part of my show at the Paxton Center in Crystal Palace this June.
We all have times when we need refuge.
In 2017 Croydon Council undertook works on the site of Surrey Street Market and for a few months stalls were displaced around central Croydon. Most of the stalls wound up as refugees looking rather out of place on the North End.
For a long time Croydon has been well known to UK immigrants because of the presence of Lunar House, headquarters of UK visa and Immigration service, on Wellesley Road. I’m not sure if it’s true that this is why we are such a diverse borough but it makes a neat soundbite. Usually all Croydonians rub along with one another fairly peacefully so it was pretty shocking in April 2017 to hear of two young lads being attacked by a mob apparently for being refugees.
The reference shots for this picture were taken as people gathered for a march organised by ‘Stand Up to Racism’ following the attack. I wasn’t interested in painting the march itself but found so much going on around me which spoke of how we all need safe places and support at different times in our lives.
‘Refuge’ is one of a number of paintings I will be sharing as featured artist at Studio Upstairs this Feb/March.
This is a new little painting of the moon over South Norwood Hill with a couple of lovers at the bus stop and a lot of people heading to Stanley Halls for an Event. It’s a scene that I first wanted to paint back in early September. We were driving home passed the Halls and pulled up in traffic to find ourselves stunned by a huge full moon shinning over the old tower and halls, it was great but getting the reference info has been a bit of a pain. My camera is useless at night so there has been lots of playing around working out the lighting and shadows. I hope to do a larger version some time soon although I might remove one of the cars….. they are never my favourite thing.
In the meantime I still have paintings up in the gallery at Stanley Halls and they will be open this Sat for a couple of free halloween themed films: Frankenweenie at 1pm and An American Warewoolf in London at 7pm. One of the things I like most about Stanley Halls is that the volunteers running it are trying really hard to make it work for the local community. http://stanleypeoplesinitiative.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/a-pillar-of-the-community/
This is a painting of the early evening rush hour outside West Croydon station. The pavements are already overflowing with people waiting to catch the bus. At this time of day everyone is tired and everyone is going home, letting go of their work personas and travelling back to the things, people and places that they love. Travelling home, becoming more themselves.
This picture was quite a time in my head before I finally got around to making it. It is based on a shop in Church Street, Croydon which largely serves a clientele with roots in North Africa. Much of what the shop sells is very common; onions, peppers, bread, cans of veg, packets of sauce. At the same time there is something very exotic about the shop, not so much in the occasional fruit or vegetable that I can’t identify as in the colors and patterns of the well stacked shelves, the friendliness of the staff and the individuality of the service. All of which pulls on my curiosity whilst jarring with my normal shyness! It’s a picture I’ve really enjoyed making so I hope you enjoy it too.
Other pictures I have recently added to the gallery are ‘Cram’ and ‘Waiting for the 4.30’, which are rather less colorful!