A lone Busker is Setting Up His Pitch in Battersea Park on the South Bank of the Thames. His guitar case open, hoping to catch any donations prompted by the well placed sign. Meanwhile, he’s setting up his guitar, amplifier and microphone, ready to play. He aims to entertain the passing crowd of Londoners out for an afternoon stroll on a sunny day. The sun casts strong shadows everywhere its path to the ground is obscured.
Nearby pedestrians are intent on their own conversations, oblivious to his presence. Behind, Chelsea Bridge links its namesake to Battersea and Spans the whole scene. Details are picked out by the Sun’s glare, colourless save an occastional hint of red.
Dressing in colourful attire, the busker himself is sporting camouflage trousers, orange boots and a blue and black jacket edge with red. I wonder what his music is like? I was hurrying to catch the train and had enought time to photograph the seen but not to stick around to hear him play. I wish I had been able to. Live music is wonderful when played well, and often these buskers have real talent.
Behind him the bright blue of the Thames is an affectation. In reality, it’s never exactly that colour, but it feels right for the painting.
Bridges are always hard to do paint and do justice to. These ones on the Thames are impressive. To depict the height and length of the full bridge results in a wide and short image. Yet bridges like Chelsea’s dwarf mere men. Then again, sections don’t do justice to the scale of the thing!
