Depicting the mundane

I think for a lot of artists the hardest part of producing work is the struggle in knowing what to paint. When we first pick up a pencil or paintbrush we learn how to draw, we learn perspective, depth and tone. Once this technical confidence is obtained the artist searches for subject matter in an attempt to express or communicate our vision.

I used to spend hours and days thinking about what I could draw to utilise the artistic skills that I have gained over the years. I would try to paint nice quaint pictures of the countryside, of animals and pretty "chocolate box" scenes. None of these excited the artist within me, so instead of looking for "nice" scenes, I drew what was overlooked in everyday existence.. this excited me.

What I enjoy about painting "mundane" everyday situations is the sense of purity, the undeniable realism of life.

This is an illustration of my friend Ben on the back of the bus I did last year.

Hertford East to London train

Thanks for reading

Peace

Sam