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| "Down the Tracks" |
Strensall Common furnished yet another painting for me
here. This is a departure from the usual scene I paint in this magical
landscape. We were crossing the track that bisects the Common. It is one of
those unmanned crossings with a little gate for pedestrians to cross. It bears
the quaint advice to ‘Look both ways before attempting crossing”. Although I wouldn't advise doing a painting this near to the tracks, we had ample time for
Merice to take a photograph. When I decided to paint the scene from memory
using her photo for reference I made a slight change. The track actually runs
in a dead straight line off towards Scarborough but I made it curve as it makes
a better composition while still leading the viewer into the scene. After a bit
of careful masking I was able to paint quickly and loosely. After a bit of
tidying up I was well pleased with my efforts. Now for me this was a ‘happy’
painting – a memory of a happy day strolling about in one of my favourite
places – but different people have different memories. It was hanging on the
wall in my old Studio/Gallery in Old Town, Bridlington. A young couple came to
look round and the lady shivered when she stood before the painting. I was
intrigued and asked why she had reacted so. The couple had just come back from
a visit to relatives in Poland. During their stay they visited the Holocaust
Centre in Auschwitz. The unimaginable horrors there had impacted on her family
and these things were still on her mind. She said the painting reminded her of
the railway line leading into the camp and that was why she shuddered. So there
you are – the same thing can produce a vastly different experience for someone
else. I have to be honest and tell you that since that encounter I look at this
painting in a different light. But there are some things that should never be
allowed to be forgotten.
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