St George Wharf, Riverside Walk – Original Painting

Something about this building reminds me of owls, the sloping and curved roof. The beak like outlined shape of the lower two sections. St George Wharf, Riverside Walk is on the south bank of the Thames, near Vauxhall wharf.

The image used was taken from the Thames clipper on which I was cruising towards Canary Wharf. A veritable sea of green. It gives off ocean vibes, at least a marine blue palette. There’s so much to see, with curving glass walls of windows, terraces and turrets, with what must be fabulous river views.

The Bridge on the left disappears off to the wharf, pristine white. It’s a familiar shape seen in bridges across the UK. Nothing special in itself, and yet something very special in its design. Simple, elegant and functional, easy to overlook, whilst simultaneously being something striking.

The degree of detail caused much frustration in the making, not least the masking removal, not fully completed, at the time of writing,. This time of year, late July, I’m often faced with a challenge when removing masking fluid, hot weather affects the latex, causing it to morph into a particularly sticky state. The scale of the owl tower isn’t immediately obvious until you see the figures on the walkway. Heads just below the canopy of a cafe umbrella, the white triangles.

A flag flutters in the breeze. The balcony is quiet. It’s daytime on a weekday, and the weather isn’t particularly bright, but how busy it must be on a warm summer’s day, when the living is easy and you can see for miles.