a painting in sutton-on-sea Posted Monday, 30th of August

I have recently been commissioned to paint a scene in Sutton-On-Sea. The client’s mother used to own a house in the town though she is now too elderly to visit so he thought a painting which would recall many a happy holiday would make a nice present for her.



I had never heard of Sutton-On-Sea though after searching in Google I discovered that it is in Lincolnshire. I could not find much more information aside from adverts for pubs and chip shops. The largest contribution about the town was in Wikipedia which said:

Sutton-on-Sea
'It is host to a post office, a few public houses, a Spar store, a hotel, and a paddling pool on the front. The A52 to Skegness runs through the town.'


So in so far as the ever growing internet is concerned the core function of this community is to provide a road from somewhere unspecified to Skegness. I couldn’t wait to get there!

I left London at around 6am and planned to be on site by around 9.30 and thankfully the journey was uneventful. My client had carefully marked some key points which he felt would be interesting subjects to paint. He had chosen about a dozen or so and most were down the High Street which in itself was only a few hundred yards long. The buildings were a mixture of Victorian and 1970’s architecture. And just as Wikipedia had promised there was a Spar too.
The choice was simple. Nicks Knacks junk shop. A building rammed with a genuinely brilliant clutter of ‘stuff' that seems to spill into the street. The chap who runs the place (Nick?) is a fine fella and supplied me with cups of coffee all day and a chair too. Nick's Nacks appear to be a more that just a shop. It is a meeting point and general focus for the many of the locals. I quickly sketched them as they passed or paused outside to pass the time of day. Often with a bag of chips in hand.

It would be very easy to miss Sutton-on-Sea if you are on your way to Skegness from somewhere unspecified, though if you do go, then pop into Nick's Knacks and lose yourself for an hour or two.

I hope you like the painting.

liamofarrell.com


In the royal academy summer exhibition for another year Posted Saturday, 12th of June

Really pleased that the Royal Academy has again accepted one of my paintings for The Summer Exhibition. And I am happy to say it has sold before the opening. This allotment by the sea may seem fantasy though the site is not entirely fictitious. It is based on my mum’s allotment in Portsmouth which is located [...]

A visit to betws garmon, wales Posted Wednesday, 12th of May

I managed to do a few paintings on a short break to Wales, staying in a tiny village at the foot of Mount Snowdon, Betws Garmon. An idyllic place to the point of surreal. Of course you had a view of the perfect mountain range from the front door step, in addition, however, you are also [...]

watercolour and oil painting exhibition in London Posted Monday, 11th of January

Latest news.I have an exhibition entitled London Scene, A Capital Exhibition at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery in waterloo. Exhibiting both watercolour and oil paintings. From the 11 January – 10 February 2010. Gallery Open 10am to 7:30pm Monday to Saturday:124 -126 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LN UK (Opposite the Old Vic Theatre)Tel: 020 7620 [...]