Prints of Newcastle
This scene of the Tyne Bridge Prints, Early Morning, is one of my best selling prints of Newcastle. Sadly, it’s a view that cannot be repeated today. It was taken from Gateshead’s multi-storey car park which was demolished in 2010. The car park starred in one of Britain’s greatest cult gangster films Get Carter starring Michael Caine. The car park’s cinema fame was sealed when Carter threw Cliff Brumby, played by Bryan Mosley, from the top in a gruesome scene.
Gateshead Multi-Storey Car Park
It’s architect, Owen Luder attended it’s demolition. He said in an interview that the car park should be kept and the shops below revamped. It’s demise is to make way for a retail and student village. I wonder if that will make it into the movies?
I recall going to the car park’s roof top in the autumn of 1992. From the rooftop I did some sketchbook studies of the early morning light breaking over the Newcastle skyline. With the aid of some of the photographs I took on that day, I was able to produce what has become something of an iconic view of the finest bridge in the North of England. Nobody else has painted this view of the Tyne Bridge.
Quayside and Sage
Over the years I’ve been able to sell many Tyne Bridge Prints. They have sent out to clients all over the world. Since I first wrote this blog post, I have published a new print of the quayside. It features the Tyne Bridge in the distance. What I like about this angle is the way the curve of the bridge is in harmony with the Sage. There’s also a deliberate contrast in the way I’ve kept the sky and reflections loose to bring relief to the structure of the architecture.
