
Art / exhibition
Featured Local Artist: Steve Broadway
Steve Broadway is one of the artists to be featured at The Grain Barge this October. The solo exhibit showcases a collection of his distinctive line drawings of places and buildings in and around Bristol.
His drawing style and technique owe much to his successful architectural career – he retired from running his Buckinghamshire architectural practice in 2005 after nearly 30 years. He then spent six years working with young people in education. But over the past two years, he’s committed himself to producing a drawing at least every other day. On the ‘other’ days, he says he looks after his grandchildren, inhabits cafés and takes photographs. The exhibition at The Grain Barge features some of the resulting original pen/pencil sketches.
Steve has been living in Bristol for the past 11 years and loves the city’s diversity, its Harbourside, its enthusiasm and energy and, crucially, its ‘arty feel’. Two of his daughters, Ruth and Hannah, also live in Bristol and are full-time artists/printers/illustrators in their own right – Hannah is also exhibiting at The Grain Barge in October.
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He says he derives inspiration for his drawings from light, line, shade, water, buildings, the work of other artists and designers, and ‘seeing’ things in the ordinary.
“As a young architect, I was always fascinated by the drawings of the influential Italian architect Antonio Sant’Elia – seminal, iconic architectural perspectives of nearly a hundred years ago. I came across images of his work again quite recently and realised that he’s continued to be a lasting influence”.
Steve maintains that he’s definitely a morning person and, on fine days, loves walking around Harbourside with his camera and sketchbook. He’s also a great morning café man – and had a series of ‘café sketches’ exhibited at The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) ‘Drawn’ exhibition last year. He’s also had one of his Harbourside boat drawings accepted for this year’s RWA Annual Open Exhibition.
You can see more drawings on Steve’s blog: www.onedaylikethistoday.blogspot.co.uk
Exhibition: 29th September – 2nd November
www.grainbarge.co.uk
Article by James Koch @dont4getthesun