Highgate Hill Pub

Description

I love walking along Highgate High Street and all the way down Highgate Hill. There’s an amazing view over London from the hill, and, of course, you can’t miss this striking red pub! It’s called The Brendan the Navigator, and it has been an Irish pub for centuries. I’m particularly drawn to this viewpoint because it brings together the beautiful building, with its atmospheric red walls and castle-like tower, and the surrounding landscape: the rolling hills, the distant views from the top, and the busy junction below. For this painting, I had to adjust the perspective slightly and reduce the amount of greenery to reveal more of the horizon and create a greater sense of depth, especially with the road winding down the hill. In reality, from the spot where I was standing, you would either see the whole building with only a small glimpse of the horizon, or, if you took a step off the pavement, you could see much more of the distant landscape — but you would lose the corner of the building. So I took a little artistic licence to bring these elements together in one composition. In terms of colour, I wanted to capture the warmth of a sunny summer day. Clouds kept drifting in and out, so the light was constantly changing. Hopefully, I managed to capture enough of that direct sunlight, along with the lovely shadows and reflections it creates.