'Crossroads', 2024

February, 2024 - Here's the finished painting capturing a subtle slice of Sheffield's recent history, showing where Alderson Road meets Woodhead Road on a chilly, misty winter evening. Was it during one of the lockdowns? Honestly, my memory’s as foggy as the scene itself. I need to do some digging to remind me of the specifics.

If you zoom in, behind those parked cars on the right, you might spot a subtle hint of tents. That was one of Sheffield’s Covid testing sites. And under that central light? A yellow sign that reads, "COVID Testing".

Now we're outside of public Covid testing, the space has gone back to being a very small yet accessible public car park.

I’ve painted this spot before [link to - ‘Crossroads’, 2016], but tackling it on such a grand scale was excessively daunting. I think I've pulled it off.

What I love about this painting is its empty vastness and the almost tangible, physical nature of the 'negative space', along with the way the misty haze wraps around the shops and street lamps. I wish I could convey the feeling of expansive size for you more, but hey, keep an eye out as ‘Crossroads’ will be on display in a solo show of work later this year (details to come).

The crossroads of Alderson Rd and Woodhead Rd, Sheffield, can be seen at this following Google Maps link - Google map ref- [link]

Here are all the layers that went into the making of the painting ‘Crossroads’, 2024.