Cut Across The Street

Cut Across The Street by Martin Howard (2014)
Watercolour, 40.6 x 30.5 cm, 140 lb Fine grain paper.
Kjell Norberg Mens Hairdressers, Borganäsvägen, Borlänge, Sweden.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. That was true on this November day. The autumn had passed it's best and the days had become rainy and dull. Just the weather for a visit to the job centre. It's a typical building for a job centre, boring and totally lacking any architectural creativity. I sat in there for a couple of hours, waiting to be seen. It was such a relief to finally get out of there. As I went out the door, I glanced across the street. In complete contrast, there is a row of older buildings with much more character. In particular, this old fashioned men's hairdressers, Kjell Norberg (pronounced shell). I thought it would make a great painting so I took a few photographs with my mobile phone. I'd never been there, but before I painted it and as I desperately needed a haircut, I felt I had to pay a visit and give it a try. I even got a discount because I had no job!