Water-colours by the water

Chris Bates Art Exhibition in The Navigation Inn

I was curious to investigate the kind of talent our village boasts when I visited the exhibition by local artist Chris Bates on display in the Function Room of the Navigation Inn. I was not disappointed.

Chris combines water-colour and pencil to create some of the most beautiful and incredibly detailed nature paintings I’ve ever seen. Much of his artwork depicts local streets while others portray some of the village’s more iconic and colourful landmarks such as the Holy Trinity Church (one of my favourites on display). Some of you may also recognise his style as he is the artist responsible for painting, among other things, the map of the village by Barrow Lock on the canal.

I got the chance to talk at length with Chris, who by the way is also one of the nicest people ever, about how he creates his art. Water-colour, from what I remember from school, is quite difficult to master for a number of reasons. Not only do you have to get the paint consistency exactly right to avoid it running but you also have to start with the light colours first since the darker ones will show through. Despite this Chris manages to create such wonderfully detailed paintings of flowers, landscapes, and countryside. A single painting may take upwards of two years to complete but considering the quality of the end result, I’d consider it more than worth it.

Hopefully, pubs will be open again soon and people will still be able to see the exhibit but regardless of that, you can see more of his wonderful art on his website chrisbatesartist.co.uk

Elliot Wilkes