47 cm (w) x 36.5 cm (h), acrylic paints on cartridge paper.
Date produced: Late November 1980

This painting was developed from a drawing carried out on-site, of the Longford Arts and Crafts Shop/Gallery. Naturally, I was drawn to this shop/gallery when I first arrived in Longford, and found the people running the shop very friendly. They lived upstairs. I enjoyed the chats I had there, and I enjoyed seeing the exhibited work of local artists.

I’ve tried to show the building as being a friendly place - the door is open, with warmth inside. The colours are influenced from my understanding of Vincent van Gogh’s work in Arles, where colour is often used as a way of expressing things about people or things within his paintings.

Radiating lines in the sky help with creating a good level of energy in the painting, and help draw one’s attention to the building as the main focus.