I thought it would be fun to write a few blog posts to explain the inspiration around my work and how each one came to be. Hopefully you find this as interesting to read as I did to write. The first blog post will cover the painting of LNER A4 60007 (4498) Sir Nigel Gresley on its April 2023 visit to the Nene Valley Railway in Cambridgeshire, UK.
Inspiration
We had a fantastic family visit to the Colne Valley Railway in Essex where we stayed with some wonderful friends who volunteered at the railway. On the way home to Warwickshire, we stopped by Wansford on the NVR, to hopefully catch a glimpse of Sir Nigel Gresley working passenger services. We sat by the quaint river Nene for nearly an hour waiting for the final service of the day to roll in, an hour late. As the engine passed over the bridge, I snapped a few shots to use as inspiration. The late afternoon sun gleamed off the top of the boiler casing as the driver gently pumped the regulator to give the engine a final boost into the platform.
Painting
I began with an A3 sized canvas board. I drew the shape of the bridge and where I wanted the river to be and then applied basic washes of colour to improve the painting surface. I seem to always paint the engine first, probably through enthusiasm, so this was the first bit of detail to go on. I tend to work round in cycles with my paintings. I won't always finish an object outright before starting work on another area. I tend to build up blocks of base colour, get my shapes right and then apply detail, often going round the canvas until I get bored of painting the bridge (for example) and then repeating the process again.
I found it enjoyable painting the bricks on the bridge and attempting to let some of that beautiful Northamptonshire/Cambridgeshire yellow stone come through. I also experimented with the grass and used some different brush techniques to get the reeds sorted. All trial and error really.
The loco sorts itself out as per usual. I let my passion for engines really unleash itself and strive to get as much detail in as I can without stepping out of my genre too far. I take my inspiration from early French fauvists and impressionists, who used lots of bright colour, but didn't worry about getting every rivet in there. There are many incredibly accomplished railway artists who get the historical detail exactly right, however, I try to bring something new to the table.
I've rarely had to paint boats before either! I used a real boat that was parked at the location as a base, but changed the name. A quick poll in the house was done to identify an appropriate name for a river cruiser. "Betty" was chosen!
Next Steps
The painting has gone to the printers where it will be scanned and printed. I aim to make fine art Giclee prints, cards and postcards. Please email me or use the contact form if you'd like one!
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