Caravans

The subject of the majority of these paintings is a caravan site behind the Sportsman, a restaurant in Seasalter, Kent.

The site was occupied by families and the caravans were passed down through the generations. The families spent their holidays on the site and it came to life in the summer months. The caravans each had their own character.

I watched the site from 2009, some caravans came and went but most remained with gardens and ornamentation.
It is alleged that the brewery instructed the owners to remove their vans by October 31st, 2016.
It took another year to clear the site, when I last visited only one van remained and wooden chalets were being constructed in their places.

‘My Caravans’ are painted on reclaimed wood. I intentionally based the paintings on photographs I had taken myself, aspiring to elicit childhood holiday memories.

I was sad to watch the little community of caravans disperse, this quirky site had pulled me back and inspired me over a number of years, fueling my pursuit of other caravans on the outskirts of other urban civilisations.