All aboard!

Any tour of London will, at some point, include the Double Decker Bus. Whether you ride on one or just photograph it, it’s part of the experience. The iconic image is, of course, the traditional Routemaster bus like this one and it must be RED!

The red double decker bus is really a national icon.

The majority of bus companies may have moved away from the traditional red, especially outside London, but the nation has a nostalgic soft spot for the traditional red bus. Growing up in Manchester they were a familiar sight until the livery was changed to orange and white in the 70s, but I digress.

London maintains its traditional red.

In fact there is now an 80% red rule where 80% of the livery must be red. As this does not include advertising the rule is often stretched though. Ask anyone the colour of London buses and they’ll say they’re red. Especially if they live outside the city.

Why call it a Routemaster Selfie?

Selfie was recently entered as a new word in the Oxford English dictionary. Although the concept of the Self portrait has been around in painting for centuries.

As I looked at portraits and my photos of this routemaster bus. It struck me that getting in close to the bus was like a close up portrait.  I thought of selfies and how they are close ups due to arm length.

Coupled with their populaity with tourists and the iconic status of the Routemaster as a tourist attraction, it was a natural leap to combine the ideas.

You can see how the “Routemaster Selfie” work in progress painting here.

Curious to see more London Paintings?