One might
be forgiven for thinking these incredible pictures are photographs, but
they are in fact the work of a British artist who paints street scenes
that look like the real thing.
Darren
Reid has only been painting for three years, but in that time he has
managed to create these intricate pieces of artwork of life in his home
town of Derby in the East Midlands.
And
in print, or even in front of your eyes, it is difficult to spot the
difference between the paintings and what might be a photograph.
His style is known as contemporary realism and surprisingly, the 44-year-old is completely self-taught.
Now
his paintings are being snapped up by art collectors for four-figure
sums - almost before the paint is dry on the canvas - after he was
shortlisted for this year's John Ruskin Prize.
The
artist says he only turned his hand to painting after his dog, a
cross-collie called Tubs, fell ill in 2011 and he spent hours at home
nursing him.
He
said: 'I was always good at art at school but when I left at 15 it
wasn't something I looked to pursue directly. Instead, I became involved
in making signs.
'I never
yearned to be able to paint in the intervening years and I don't think
I'd have been ready to do the art I'm now doing 20 years ago.'
The
first painting that Mr Reid tackled was of former cotton mill, Darley
Abbey Mills in Derby - a building with which he is very familiar with -
choosing to specifically feature the fire escape.
He
said: 'I capture the scene I intend to paint by taking a photograph
initially. But then it is down to me to adjust the scene as I see fit.
'For
example, the John Ruskin entry is of St Peter's Street in Derby but
people looking at it will realise the street is narrower than it would
be in reality.
'And in Crossing The Tracks, which is a view looking across Derby's railway station, the angles are altered.
'The
temporary bridge should be at more of a 90-degree angle but I wanted to
use it to lead the eye along and into the painting more, so I reduced
the angle.'
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