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.
I’ve always had a great love for this classic, quintessential vintage taxicab that plied the London streets and provinces from the late forties to the end of the 1950’s. I once owned a relatively rare 1949 example which was in a poor state of disrepair only to sell it to another enthusiast in the local area. I loved the traditional turning circle of twenty five feet and with the open luggage area to the nearside of the driver, it brought the days of Trans Atlantic ocean liners back in mind. These vehicles were the last of the three door type cabs along with the early examples of Beardmore taxicabs. The FX3 was superceded by the more modern four door Austin FX4, which in its final form continued in numbers on the London streets until the past six years.
The original idea of my painting of this taxicab was actually quite different to the final version. It was originally planned to have an aerial view of it high over a Northern hemisphere country with the Northern Lights in the background for the purposes of the main page to the website. However, the idea was shelved due to lack of time available and so the subject remained very much on its own. I very much enjoyed painting this subject with all the extra luggage stuffed into the driver’s luggage space and above on the roof rack. The interior shows and a hint of warmth and light although to the driver it would be very draughty.
One of its most unusual features underneath the cab was the novel built-in Jackall hydraulic jacking system which could lift any one of all wheels off the ground. Luckily, there are quite a few preserved examples left around in the world today.
Huntly Maury
August 2017