Evening Traffic

Once I was on the M62 near Leeds heading to Scarborough when I suddenly saw a long line of snaking traffic ahead. I came to a stop. The journey normally takes three hours with light traffic but this time it would take over five hours. Things were so bad I even turned off the engine. The radio announced a truck transporting oil had started leaking and the motorway had been closed. An sunny evening was rolling in and the sun was low and orange. It was one of those sunsets that tinted and tainted every surface and when it bounced off cars it was quite blinding. It was strangely beautiful - so much so that I remember it now. It compelled me to paint a traffic scene featuring that sun and here it is.

I wasn’t sure where to start. How do you paint traffic in the evening? I drew in the road, some background buildings and some generic car shapes. I remember tall lights on the motorway and put them in to save the sky from looking a little bland. I got painting using just four or five colours - first in acrylics. What are all those buildings in the background? I’m not sure but as I blocked them in the painting came to life. Gaining momentum I upgraded to oil paints and carried on. I’ve just realised I haven’t added any people - oh well, too late now.

I liked painting the traffic lights best. They’re all showing amber for some reason - couldn’t be bothered opening the green tube. Anyway, it would be incongruent with the other shades. You never known when a painting is finished; it sort of sighs and announces it itself. Here it is. I might even put this on my wall to cover a blood smear from one of those heady nights when Miss Ballscrush came round and whipped me into unconsciousness.