In 2020 I was commissioned by the Canal & River Trust to create an original painting as a response to the Big Green Draw: A Climate of Change.

The painting ‘Water Way’ shows the waterside development in Leicester, near the old industrial Friars Mill buildings along the River Soar. Industry first grew up along the canal because of its access to coal, and in 2020 it was again at the heart of a new area of growth.

The title reflects the idea of the way of water — that whatever is put into the water will find its way back. While we focus on the growth of a city, we should also be mindful of the larger world it's part of, and that everything is interconnected.

In the composition, the industrial skyline is pushed to a narrow band along the horizon, while the water dominates the frame — a visual reminder that the city is a small part of something far bigger.

The work developed through sketches, thumbnail drawings, ink drawings and photographs made on site, before the final painting was produced in my studio.

Medium: Acrylic, ink, pencil and pastel
Image size: 50 × 38 cm
Completed: October 2020