Well it’s actually a Drive where I live – but Alan Lerner apparently lived on a street- so you do what you have to, to make the title work.
I was putting the bins out the other day and looked up the Drive to see the autumn sun piercing the remaining leaves on the sycamore trees and patterning the pavement. I thought that it would make a good painting.
I added the dog walker as a focal point. There are plenty of them about as evidence on the pavement abounds.
Before Christmas there was a call for paintings of Liverpool for a book entitled The Liverpool Art Book. The authors have done a number of other cities starting with the Cambridge Art Book. They use quirky media such as CAD, collage and screen print etc so I thought my images might be a little staid. I also thought that they would want images of major landmarks.
This week they got back to me and said that they wanted copies of two of my paintings. One was a watercolour that could be of anywhere. I called it Shopping Can Create a Thirst and it was from images taken in Liverpool One (the main shopping area in Liverpool). I was pleased with the painting – but I actually threw it in the entry by accident.
I suppose the second one was more what I thought that they might want – it was a pastel of the area close to the waterfront
It is called Crossing the Strand and shows the Liver Building in the Background.
I have posted both these paintings in the past, but I must admit their selection was a bit of a surprise. Still at least I got two in. The book is supposed to come out later in the year.
Other, more unsurprising paintings of Liverpool can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
I wanted to try some more townscapes and get a little more rawness into the image. This is one of Liverpool with the Liver Building silhouetted in the background. I have done this view before and put it on the blog, but getting figures in this time and making them prominent gives the image more depth and vitality.
Other townscapes including those of Liverpool are available on my website grahammcquadefineart.com
I did a painting of Bryant Park in Manhattan in July 2014 which eventually sold but subsequently still got a lot of hits on my blog and website. So I decided to do another. In the bustle and noise of downtown New York, I loved the light coming in through the leaves on the autumn trees and the pigeons meticulously patrolling the ground for crumbs.
Other townscape paintings are available on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com
We wandered into Santiago Cathedral on Easter Sunday, sightseeing and unaware of the time. When we got in there was a service taking place, so we walked around the outside, but coming down the outside aisle came a procession with the head man. With incense and crosses they marched past us and I turned towards the main door and saw a lad holding out his hand. In the light there seemed a sense of spirituality, even to me.
Normally I am in Liverpool early on a Saturday, but as my daughter came up for a few days to stay we went into the city for an early evening meal and before I met up with them I wandered around with my camera. Fortunately it rained and the reflections on the wet pavements really added to the atmosphere. I really liked the youths hanging around the newsagent and the reflected light coming past their bodies. I hear its going to be a wet Saturday tomorrow, so I might get back down, but in any case there may be a few more shots in the camera.
I think on an earlier post with a painting of Bold Street, Liverpool, I said that it wasn’t my first and probably wouldn’t my last. Well I wouldn’t want to disappoint and it follows on with another night scene. I have done a few of night-time in Liverpool, but wasn’t overly satisfied. I am more satisfied with this, focussing in on a subject and aided by the reflections of the wet pavements it has got a bit more energy than the others, maybe enough energy for me to try another. We shall see.
A merry Christmas to all.
Other Liverpool paintings for sale can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart
