Description

City Heat II is a vivid Birmingham cityscape painting that explores the colour, movement, and atmosphere of one of the city’s busiest intersections.

Painted in watercolour on textured paper. City Heat II presents a dominantly purple and complementary yellow version of one of my favourite intersections within Birmingham. Specifically, it captures the point where Hill Street and Navigation Street collide. This is at the back of Birmingham’s New Street train station.

Furthermore, you can see the Grosvenor Casino glowing pale pink. However, it frequently changes colour to oranges and cool blues.

As for my creative process, I work from my slow shutter photographs. For this piece, I took a photo at a low angle, looking down onto the No Entry sign and the yellow traffic box junction on the road.

The scene notably glistened with the streetlights and the passing cars. On the left, the white car is stationary and in focus, while the cars crossing the junction are depicted with abstracted light trails and distortion. This is inspired by my slow shutter shots.

Inspiration:

In terms of inspiration, the yellow traffic box is a common inclusion in my compositions. I am particularly drawn to the interaction of traffic at junctions. It helps convey a sense of perspective and space. Additionally, this element often frames the action. The distorted cars create patterns and light trails that bounce off the wet surface of the junction. This adds to the drama and atmosphere.

Techniques and media used for City Heat II:

Moreover, there are several techniques and media used for City Heat II. Allowing the white textured paper to shine through at the centre of the yellow lights is an essential factor within this watercolour painting. I wanted to maintain the atmospheric, misty haze. Furthermore, the wheels of the cars spray the surface water. The drizzle adds to the overall effect.

Finally, there are also numerous reflections on all surfaces, whether it be the road or the lights on the large silver fascia of Grand Central Station. This is positioned on the left side of the composition.