More Buildings At Canary Wharf

Whenever I visit London I stay at The Britannia Hotel in the Docklands. For decades this area was ragged wasteland but not anymore: it’s now Canary Wharf, a headquarters hub for big banks and sky-blocking tower blocks populate the area. Tall impressive apartment blocks have been built to accommodate the wealthy residents and a new town has emerged.

I try to work out which buildings have sprung up since my last visit. After booking into the hotel room I immediately walk ten minutes to the Tesco Express for some milk. On this walk I try to guess which are the new blocks. Often three have appeared since my last visit. Over the years more and more of the sky has been blocked out by these big beauties. It’s a posh Legoland on a grand scale and in the evening I go out for walks and absorb the changing atmosphere. I love it.

Here is a small painting done in about 40 minutes with the above in mind. Feeling hyperactive and with a £1 canvas in one hand and a 25p knife in the other I started pasting in a few skyscrapers. I was doodling really, had nothing in mind except oblong blocks. I dabbed on some ‘windows’ and soon the canvas was double its previous weight. It was finished so quickly I hardly took any photos. I’m afraid Pipi the cat who appears in the photographs was knocked down this week.