SOPHIE SLADE: PAINT THE TOWN IN COLOUR - June 2025
Having grown up in Northampton, Sophie studied at university here and set out to draw attention to the places that together make this town recognisable as home. In 2020, she beganto capture iconic Northampton landmarks in bold, vibrant colours, far from reality, as a way of highlighting some often overlooked details. As well as the more modern buildings, Sophie was particularly inspired by the historic architecture across the town that she'd passed by hundreds of times without truly paying attention to them. Past and current residents often share stories with this young, contemporary artist of the most meaningful places to them; perhaps it’s the place they met their partner, a shop they worked in or theirfavourite pub. Guided by these stories, Sophie has spent the past 5 years making her way around the buildings and landscapes of the town to create the Paint theTown series.
Sophie uses acrylicfor its quick-drying qualities and its flexibility in layering, allowing her to create texture and tone without disrupting previous layers. As the series has grown Sophie has begun to introduce some more realistic colour pallets amongst the more abstract and imaginative ones. Sophie says: "I’m more inclined to painting a low-lit evening scene, in particularly streetscapes. When light spills from a building’s windows in contrast with a dimly lit exterior, it allows me to achieve an element of ambience within a painting. I am often reminded by the viewers of the importance of our town’s buildings, not just as structures, but as markers of identity and belonging. Understandably, I’m also sometimes met with negativity around the way our town has evolved". In summary, she says: "For many of us, Northampton is where we live or work, so I’m keen to celebrate the parts that are positively familiar to us or those that evoke happy memories with family and friends. I hope that through painting I can contribute to celebrating Northampton."
All paintings, prints and cards are for sale.
Open from Thursday 29th May to Sunday 29th June (noon) 10.00am - 4.30pm
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