For 40 years I’ve looked across
Rochdale canal in Todmorden at some dark turrets -
and never visited them. One Saturday afternoon I decided to have a wander up to
them but found them to be part of a person’s house but unused. Passing a rusty
grid I lifted it to see deep raw sewage flowing in slow-motion down to the
canal. I put the grid back and decided to walk down along the canal footpath. Many
year ago I was walking along this canal when I saw an unworried cow stood in
the deep water. A girl was shouting to her boyfriend, “Do something - do
something!” I doubt he could pull half a ton out of the water but it eventually
waded to a shallow bank and left the water itself. I’ve never seen in a cow in
a canal before. I once found a dead Yorkshire Terrier and don’t think I’ll ever
forget it.
I passed a narrow-boat moored up on its own and was
thinking how the red door didn’t fit well the pale blue colours when I decided
on impulse I thought I would paint it. I think I must be getting old as I’m not
really one for painting canals and roses in vases and apples in bowls (I really
must be getting old as I don’t mind the taste of Brussel sprouts so much these
days, quite like watching The Waltons and have some
beige shoes.)
So here’s a painting of the narrow boat with the turrets in the
background. I’ve never painted reflections on water before but it all happened
quickly and I was soon signing the canvas. Must admit I was on the edge of
boredom painting this and was glad to finish it. I like paintings with a
narrative that spurs the viewer’s mind.
I wasn’t sure if there was a difference between a barge and a
narrow-boat....had to look it up: a barge is too large and too wide for most canal
locks and is used for carrying cargo; a narrow-boat is typically 60 feet long
and about 7 feet wide (and the Vikings used longboats.) So the thing here with
a red door here is a narrow boat.
This isn’t my kind of painting. You see these regularly in local art
exhibitions and spend less than four seconds glancing at them as you stride
along to the exit. I’ll put this in the attic and give something the spiders to
cover in silk.