About the Image
Sloane Square at night, it is what you see. More than half of the painting is road, wet road after a day of constant rain. The pink and orange sky a hint of better weather on the horizon or worse to come. Red sky at night shepherds delight? Londoners may be able to tell which it is.
The puddles on the road shimmer with the lights of headlights on the taxis, bikes and other vehicles. Golden hues fade into dappled white. The ripples are busy and indistinct in places.
You are looking from a low vantage point, close to the black post. The foreground may be dark but it's far from flat as crystalline stones and blooms of colour form elaborate designs. Pinks and greens drawn out of the dark hues as the water ebbs and flows with a passing traffic. The street furniture is a central component of this piece. The Illuminated signs directing the flow of traffic. The red taxi about to turn to our left and disappearing to Sloane Square ready to pick up a fair from the station just around the corner. The black taxi is heading our way...
And the motorbike? Who can tell, agile bikers can make swift manoeuvres which make predicting their course more challenging.
Besides that crimson sky is Peter Jones, the flagship store of John Lewis and to the right, Sloane Square Hotel. That post cannot be ignored, it's black but there are so many colours present from black to bright blue and yellow and a hint of pink where the paint's beginning to peel with wear and tear.
How the image is created: Masking fluid is painted onto watercolour paper to create an image. This is covered with a watercolour wash and covered with clingfilm. The picture is further developed using acrylic inks once the film is removed. The masking is removed after several layers are added and allowed to dry. Revealing the final picture.
