Behind the scenes there are many volunteers using their unique skills to aid the Trust so this time the blog is handed over to our Artist in Residence Stuart Sampson. If you have come to this website having seen one of the new posters on the route of the canal, then a special welcome to you.
Stuart Sampson on the inspiration for the paintings:
“In those grim days when nobody was allowed to venture more than walking
distance from their homes, I trod the Heritage Towpath Trail on an almost daily
basis. So it wasn’t that difficult to imagine it as a working canal, especially for
someone who has been actively boating since 1975. Borrowcop Locks in use
was an obvious start, followed by Gallows Wharf.
Towpath walkers may also remember at that time a refugee from lockdown was
taking social distancing seriously and working alone with a bricklayer’s trowel
on the stretch from Gallows Wharf, and it is to him, Bill Beresford, that I must
give credit for the idea of using the images for promotional banners.
Originally the paintings were intended for sale or raffle individually to raise funds,
but once I realised the target of painting twelve pictures wasn’t out of the
question, the idea of a calendar was born. Both the original canvases and the
calendars are now available on the online shop.
However it didn’t stop there. Some of the paintings were from viewpoints where
posters could be displayed, so Bill’s idea came to fruition. However the first
poster wasn’t made from an existing picture, but one specifically painted to put
the viewer at the helm of Rose Willow. Two more were specifically painted in
‘widescreen’ to predict what the basin at Falkland Road would look like in water
with moored narrowboats, kayakers and ducks being fed.
I felt honoured that people thought my paintings were good enough to be
presented to worthies and dignitaries connected to the Trust, so more enjoyable
work came my way and lockdown became more bearable.”
Stuart Sampson
