Treasures 1

Part of a series of paintings inspired by the Brighton West Pier artefacts. Some of the artefact remnants ( post fire 2003) from the West Pier Brighton, were auctioned and sold and other pieces were stored in the reclamation yard opposite West Pier in a caged area. Many pieces were labelled, resembling treasures and museum pieces and valuable as part of Brighton's rich heritage. The painting, 40 x 40in, is worked in mixed media, collage and acrylic paint on canvas. I was specifically interested in capturing the light source coming through the south facing bars and which varied depending on the time of day. I worked on tonal qualities and aimed to capture a sense of mystery and eeriness, which is what I loved most about the place. It was as if the beautiful treasures stored there were waiting for the time to be redeemed, restored and reinstated and with a different purpose.