This is the second piece I’ve made for Advent on the streets of Parson Cross in Sheffield. The site is an old garage, walled up with breeze blocks, behind the Parson Cross Inn.
I felt more confident with this work as I’m beginning to get a feel for the medium (and if anyone has a wall that they’d like me to paint please get in touch as the process is addictive). The position is quite prominent, but as it’s in a car park there were fewer passers by. Nevertheless, those that did stop to chat gave me the same mixture of warmth and warnings as I’d experienced before: delight and surprise at something like this appearing on the estate along with comments such as, ‘That won’t last 5 minutes, there are so many wankers round here’.
As I spent less time talking and more time just being in the place I was able to experience the textures and feelings of the location more deeply:
The puddle right in front of the wall that I fell foul of several times as I stepped back to look at the image, mud sliding underfoot and oil from the paint making rainbow patterns on the water.
The roughness of the stone and the way the paint picked out the cracks and crevasses.
The keen December wind whisking the paint away from the surface before it had chance to make a mark.
And then the image itself emerging on that abandoned, burnt out shed round the back of a pub; Vibrant colours amidst the brown and grey, hopeful and fragile, beautiful life in an ordinary place.
I ask for wonder 
Again, Ric, you inspire me. Unexpected beauty in the most unexpected of places. Thank you for sharing the evolution of the image. To see the vibrancy develop with warmth and embrace the child…lovely.Someday, I will try painting…Shari
I’ve really enjoyed this project together – and it’s really inspired me to think about ways we can continue similar ideas throughout next year on the estate.
You could paint the whole estate 🙂 Actually thinking about it – have you thought about going even bigger scale – say a playground floor – so it could be seen from the sky / nearby tall buildings , google earth 🙂
Maybe they should paint the whole estate where you live! Who do you people think you are? People on estates like this helped build Sheffield by grafting hard in the factories. They don’t need the patronage of outsiders coming in to demonstrate their perceived superiority..
Give the artists living here the money and opportunity given to strangers and talents will certainly emerge. What arrogance is displayed in some comments!
Its great working with you Nick – And I do keep seeing bigger and bigger walls and dreaming of what could be!I love to see how the local and global meet on here – so Shari comments from Iowa and Nick and Mick comment from just round the corner from the pub.And Shari – Get some paints and some brushes – and go for it!Ric
Thanks for this Ric, will pop down and have a look at lunchtime.
PS What about the skatepark on Wordsworth Ave? A place that could really do with some love.
The skatepark is a great idea – it’s where we placed one of the Advent Prayer angels but doing more art there would be a great site. Maybe i’ll talk to the council in the new year if you’re up for it Ric?
baby arrives at outbuilding of inn – awesome. Thanks Ric.
Ric, your painting on the derelict garage alongside the Parson Cross Hotel is an excellent piece of work but I am worried that the estate will drown under the artistic whims of people passing through. We already have garish shutters on Margetson shops, an insulting verse by Ania Bas, a not very flattering video compiled by Futures on Doe Royd Lane – all placed on the internet and portraying the area in a poor light. If people are looking for somewhere on which to display their artistic talents I would suggest the SOAR building on Knutton Road would provide a massive canvas. Slightly off the beaten track it would attract only those wishing to view it making it fair for everyone.