Description
Piccadilly Tourists is an original Piccadilly Circus tourists painting by Julie Swinsco. It captures a family moving through the heart of London on a bright, sunny day.
The family walk past the famous Eros fountain with their child in a buggy. Meanwhile, an iconic red London bus provides a flash of colour in the background.
Around them, the grand architecture of Piccadilly Circus creates a strong sense of place. However, rather than presenting a static London landmark, the painting is filled with movement.
The Inspiration Behind Piccadilly Tourists
Piccadilly Circus always excites me as a source of material for my paintings.
It is such a busy junction. Tourists, commuters and traffic constantly move through the space, so every visit reveals something different.
I particularly enjoy the contrast between this activity and the surrounding architecture.
The elegant buildings are clad in beautiful grey Portland stone. Against them, the familiar red London buses provide wonderful flashes of colour.
For this painting, however, the family became the focus.
They are simply passing through Piccadilly on a sunny day. Yet, for a few seconds, they become part of the constantly changing life of this iconic London location.
Painting People in Motion
My slow-shutter photography provided the starting point for the painting.
In the photographs, movement exaggerated the steps around the fountain. It also softened and distorted the figures as they walked through the scene.
I wanted to retain that feeling in the finished painting.
Therefore, I used squeegees to pull the oil paint across the surface. This created a drag within the marks and helped suggest movement.
The figures remain recognisable. However, their edges begin to blur and merge with their surroundings.
As a result, the painting sits somewhere between observation and abstraction. The family, fountain, architecture and traffic all become part of the same moving cityscape.
Ultimately, this Piccadilly Circus tourists painting captures an everyday moment in central London. It celebrates the people who move through the city as much as the famous landmarks around them.
Artwork Details
- Title: Piccadilly Tourists
- Artist: Julie Swinsco
- Location: Piccadilly Circus, London
- Medium: Oil on board
- Frame: Black wooden tray frame
- Size including frame: 45cm x 62.5cm x 2.53
- Authenticity: Hand-signed original painting with a signed Certificate of Authenticity
