The creativity of a Sheffield artist has been put to good use as lockdown forced all of us to stay away from some of our favourite places.
Now the restrictions are easing, Alan Pennington is hoping his newly completed Peak District collection will act as a reminder of what we temporarily lost, and help those of us still under restrictions to access the beautiful countryside once again.
The Walkley-based artist, who painted one of Sheffield’s most iconic #StayHomeSaveLives images, admits he took for granted that he could escape to the Peaks at any time.
He said: “They say you don’t miss something until it’s gone – and it was certainly true for me. I didn’t realise how much I relied on walking in the Peak District to feed my creativity, and felt lost when lockdown threatened to take that away from me.
“I decided to turn this into a positive and complete the collection I’d started over a year ago. I took my memories of the places and scenes I wanted to experience again and turned them into pieces anyone who has visited the Peaks would recognise. It helped me get through lockdown knowing I would appreciate it all the more once I could step foot in them again. I hope the paintings have a similar affect on people that continue to be in lockdown“
Alan Pennington is renowned for his bold, brightly coloured depictions of key local landmarks and places.
His Hendo’s “Be a Local Hero” character became an icon to the city during lockdown, raising money for NHS Charities Together.
