Description

City Heat captures a rainy evening at one of Birmingham’s busiest intersections. I painted the point where Hill Street and Navigation Street meet, just behind New Street Station. At the centre, the Grosvenor Casino glows orange, although in reality its façade shifts between purples and cool blues.

I worked from my slow shutter photographs. From a low angle, I looked down onto the bold No Entry sign and the yellow box junction glistening with reflections. The stationary white car anchors the scene. Meanwhile, the crossing traffic streaks past, leaving abstract light trails that distort and energise the composition.

Inspiration for City Heat:

I find the buzz of the city at night mesmerising. Especially in the rain, the roads glow and the air feels heavy with mist and humidity. Sitting to draw in such conditions is impractical and even dangerous. Therefore, I use my camera to capture the rhythm of the city with slow shutter shots. These photographs hold the movement and abstraction that I later interpret in paint.

Techniques and Media Used

To begin, I applied thin layers of hot colours. For this piece, I built a warm palette of reds, ochres, and yellows. Oil paint dries slowly, so I allowed each layer to settle before glazing again. Over several months, the painting evolved.

White paint takes the longest to dry, yet it creates the glowing base I need. As a result, I could finish with translucent red and yellow glazes over the light trails to make them radiate. Finally, I waited once more before applying an “oiling out” layer, followed by a sacrificial gloss varnish to seal the surface.

• Title: City Heat
• Artist: Julie Swinsco
• Medium: Oil on board
• Frame: Black floating tray frame
• Size (including frame): 78 × 68.5 cm
• Authenticity: Hand-signed, Certificate of Authenticity included

This original Birmingham cityscape oil painting celebrates the drama of light, movement, and rain in the heart of the city.