Prints of Grey Street

Grey Street was described by the architectural critic and writer Sir Nikolaus Pevsner as being the finest curved street in Europe. With its gentle curve of fine Georgian buildings sweeping down to the Quayside, it’s difficult for one to argue against that claim. BBC radio 4 listeners added to its praise describing Grey Street as the best street in Britain. Grey Street’s jewel in the crown is the Theatre Royal. It protrudes out from the classically proportioned columns and windows running either side of the street.

Emerson Chambers

I first noticed this view taken from Emerson Chambers back in 1992. At the time I was doing a series of scenes of Newcastle taken from elevated vantage points. I managed to spend a morning painting on location sitting at one of the windows. It gave me a deeper appreciation of the overall scenario. Together with reference photographs I produced this particular watercolour of the Theatre Royal. It was reproduced as a limited edition print. It has proved to be very popular over the years and is one of my best selling prints of Newcastle.

Painting Grey Street

I never tire of painting Grey Street. Even in winter on a wet rainy day, it’s wonderful to paint. Obviously it’s harder to paint on location when it’s raining outside, but if you have an umbrella, you can keep your paper dry. Even though painting “en plein air” is challenging, the results are usually worth it. You come away feeling deeply satisfied that you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone.