I have now completed my new painting based on an urban area on the outskirts of Stafford town. It depicts the side of a garage and the railway line behind it. What attracted me to this space is the run down appearance of the area with the peeling paint, graffiti and cracked concrete. It has a feeling that something has happened or is about to happen and at the same time is the sort of place that is often ignored or overlooked.
The painting is called "Arrival" which refers to the theme of transport (the garage and railway line in the picture) but also the sense of becoming aware of the spirit of the area. The scene in the image would not normally be something people would spend time with - it would be somewhere that was passed or used briefly, perhaps to park or drop off a vehicle. Most of us spend much of our time thinking ahead of where we want to be rather than being aware of where we are and what we are doing, So this painting looks at looking at something generally regarded as ugly in a new light and seeing that everything is fascinating given the right outlook.
This work also connects to other work i have done that explored themes of abandonment and stillness. I intend to work more in this area.