The Story Behind The Paintings :
A series of interesting and informal insights from the artist about the creation of his paintings from their inception to their completion.
Jollidays! Christmastime in Suburban London Circa 1965
I had a lot of fun in painting this composition whilst I was listening to Christmas music to keep my inspiration going at steady rate. It was a warm July in California when I started it and Christmas was still a time away. In this painting I wanted to conjure up a typical period London and place it within an outside suburb scene. I wanted to focus the attention of viewers to the fictitious Greenwoods Department Store, decked out in all its glory of Christmas lights and decorations! In the 1965 era, this would have been the heyday of my Christmas experiences when I was taken to see the British version of Santa Claus – Father Christmas and Uncle Holly in the encapsulating Christmas Grotto. It was truly an exciting time for a schoolboy and his Christmas List!
The painting truly portrays the atmosphere and excitement of a typical December scene in a Metropolis environment. The shop windows decked out in Christmas trees and fittings with shoppers looking on with glee at the displays. The Greenwoods Department store was based on a typical festive period building that would have occupied an area along Oxford Street. I intentionally didn’t wish to portray an actual named Department Store in London as this would have given quite a different character to the painting – it was a general feel to Christmastime all around that I wanted to achieve.
Since it is a period piece I have included transport subjects that would have been a common sight in that year 1965. There is a green Heinkel Trojan bubble car with its front door swung outwards to allow entry and exit into the vehicle for its passengers near the entrance to Greenwoods. There is a British Racing Green Morgan sports car in front of a period AEC London Transport RT bus – the route number 101 being fictitious for this painting, having being on loan from the Golden Gate Transit system in California where I drove their buses extensively for fifteen years. My favourite London buses always had the earlier Rooftop Route Number boxes and I decided it would complete the period scene accordingly. There is the back of a Cadbury’s delivery van alongside another London bus heading away from the area. I chose this particular item as it assists with the viewers eye in moving from the activity of the Department Store to the spectacular purple overhead sky giving it a very warm and unusual feel to the painting.
For the opposite side of the road I have placed what would have been a typical London Evening News signage adorned on a building. There is also an Art Deco style Cinema further up the road with its fixtures. on the opposite side of the street and further away from Greenwoods Store I have included an Underground station, a typical Royal Mail Post Office Morris van and a Scammell Scarab three wheeler tractor and trailer.
I ended up filling the main areas of the department store with novel items such festive hanging balls of decoration, wreathes and small pine ferns. Around the figure of Father Christmas, a multitude of imitational boxed presents set the remaining scene well.
I feel that the overall picture conveyed the very essence that I tried to portray in this painting. It rings out an enormous amount of Holiday spirit and all the excitement that goes with it. After some considerable time that has now passed since I completed this work, I still get that dramatic feel and thrill when viewing it myself. I am quite happy with its final result and happy to see others feel the same way!
Huntly Maury
July 2017
Original Watercolour Painting Size 15 x 22 inches Completed in 2016