Wakefield during Covid – 19

I wanted to document the city of Wakefield during the Covid – 19 pandemic. I started on Friday 20th March 2020. The initial aim was to paint plein air. Three paintings later the UK was put into lockdown and restriction were put in place that made that approach impossible.

From Tuesday 24th March 2020 all paintings were done from documentation and memories of the daily exercise walks that were allowed under the new restrictions.

The places painted are all of Wakefield that I can see within a 30-minute walking distance from my house.

The paintings are an exploration inspired in part by Georges Perec’s Species of Space and the concept of the infra-ordinary; the paying of detailed attention to the everydayness of things.  There are certain themes linking all the paintings which I won’t go into yet as this is an ongoing project and I have no idea when it will end.

What I will say is that I hope the paintings encourage people to look at their surroundings and to find beauty and enjoyment in what’s there.

(Each painting was completed in one sitting (usually between 3 and 4 hours) and are in acrylics. The first three were painted on canvass, the rest are on cardboard, size 20cm x 40cm)

Update – after 10 weeks of lockdown restrictions and 40 paintings, this series came to an end on 1st June 2020

1 – Friday 20th March – Mount ‘Tarry by it’ from Heath Common

2 – Sunday 22nd March – Overlooking Wakefield Prison from Cannonball Hill, Thornes Park.

3 – Monday 23rd March – Overlooking Wakefield City centre from Cannonball Hill, Thornes Park

4 – Tuesday 24th March – Wakefield Municipal Golf Course

5 – Wednesday 25th March – Horbury Academy form across Horbury Lagoons

6 – Thursday 26th March – Chantry Waters from Fall Ings Lock

7 – Friday 27th March – Cannonball Hill, Thornes Park

8 – Monday 30th March – Looking over Diamond Business Park towards Cannonball Hill from a ridge by the River Calder, created by the remains of the Calder Soap Works

9 – Tuesday 31st March – Looking towards Wakefield Catherdral, The Ridings Shopping Center and Pinderfields Hospital from Sandal Castle

10 – Wednesday 1st April – Roundabout on Denby Dale Road at the entrance to Holmfield Park

11 – Thursday 2nd April – Clarence Park Bandstand from Denby Dale Road

12 – Friday 3rd April – Playground in Thornes Park

13 – Monday 6th April – Looking towards Trinity Walk, Pinderfields Hospital helipad, and Wakefield Cathedral from Pinders Field

14 – Tuesday 7th April – Newton Bar Roundabout

15 – Wednesday 8th April – The remains of Speedibake

16 – Friday 10th April – Thornes Park Nursery

17 – Monday 13th April – Calder Island from Sandal Castle

18 – Tuesday 14th April – Thornes Park football pitch

19 – Thursday 16th April – Gentleman’s shelter, Thornes Park

20 – Friday 17th April – Cannonball Hill from Denby Dale Road

21 – Monday 20th April – The gates at Thornes Park Nursery

22 – Tuesday 21st April – Towards the City Centre looking over The Hepworth Wakefield car park

23 – Wedneday 22nd April – Roundabout on Charlesworth Way

24 – Saturday 25th April – Viaduct and playground off Thornes Lane

25 – Monday 27th April – Looking over Clarence Park Arena towards the city centre

26 – Tuesday 28th April – From Kirkgate Station looking towards The Hepworth Wakefield and Rutland Mills

27 – Thursday 30th April – Looking along Kirkgate under Bridge MVN2-241 towards the city centre.

28 – Monday 4th May – Mount ‘Tarry by it’ from the junction of Black Rd and Doncaster Rd.

29 – Tuesday 5th May – Bus stop on Denby Dale road next to Holmfield Park

30 – Wednesday 6th May – Summer House in Clarence Park

31 – Saturday 9th May – Railway Bridges over Doncaster Road

32 – Monday 11th May – The Blue Bridge over the River Calder

33 – Tuesday 12th May – Roundabout on Neil Fox Way

34 – Wednesday 13th May – Railway bridge over Thornes Lane looking towards Holmfield Park

35 – Monday 18th May – Footpath linking Waldorf Way to Russell Street under two railway bridges.

36 – Tuesday 19th May – Aviary at Thornes Park

37 – Thursday 21st May – From the garden at The Hepworth Wakefield looking towards the city centre.

38 – Tuesday 26th May – From road bridge on Denby Dale Road looking towards Thornes Lock

39 – Wednesday 27th May – The entrance to Clarence Park Arena

40 – Monday 1st June – Bus stop by Thornes Park football pitches

The end.