47 cm (w) x 36.5 cm (h), acrylic paints on cartridge paper.
Date produced: Late November 1980

This painting was developed from a drawing carried out on-site, of the Longford Arts and Crafts Shop/Gallery. Naturally, I was drawn to this shop/gallery when I first arrived in Longford, and found the people running the shop very friendly. They lived upstairs. I enjoyed the chats I had there, and I enjoyed seeing the exhibited work of local artists.

I’ve tried to show the building as being a friendly place - the door is open, with warmth inside. The colours and thickness of the paint are influenced from my understanding of Vincent van Gogh’s work in Arles, where colour is often used as a way of expressing things about people or things within his paintings.

Radiating lines in the sky help with creating a good level of energy in the painting, and help draw one’s attention to the building as the main focus.