Sunday 3 February 2013

Of Seaside Piers...

Here's one of the paintings I'm submitting for this year's SSA (Society of Scottish Artists), which is also being held at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.

Rainclouds over Llandudno Pier, (Mixed, 29 x 24)

It's another drawing of a pier.  I just love piers - something to do with childhood visits to the south of England, but also to do with the contrast of the man-made structures marching into the restlessness of the sea, and that the piers are strong and yet fragile, created as something frivolous and joyful, and yet with something very sad about them.

One of the large paintings in my London show is this one, Pier at Sunset.

Pier at Sunset (Oil on linen 32 x 32)

My show a couple of years ago at the House for an Art Lover had many images of Eastbourne Pier, done in a variety of media including flag-like prints in bright procion dye on cotton tablecloths.





Eastbourne Pier: Night, Day, Dawn and Dusk.  Screenprint and procion dye on cotton (35 x 35)












One of my favourite piers has to be at Southwold.  Instead of the usual slot machines and one-armed bandits, it has a pier with lots of really quirky silly steam-punk machines in 'The Under the Pier Show.

This collection of unique, hand-built nonsense includes 'Wack a Banker' so you can get your revenge, 'Pet or Meat' which gives a comprehensive description of the difference between the two, a leaky under-sea submarine which squirts you with water, a dog-walking machine and a frisking machine with giant hands.




I'm also fond of the one at Morecambe, with its bird sculptures.


If you've got any favourite piers, then let me know!

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