SOME artists take their inspiration from stunning scenery or beautiful people.
Thomas Cameron on the other hand, looks hard at the streets and people we walk past every day of our lives without really noticing.
“It’s these really ordinary and potentially mundane things,” he said.
“I wanted to sort of freeze these moments that are relatable and hopefully make people reconsider things which are familiar to us and that we see all the time.”
One of the pieces in the collection, which will be on show next week, is a moody depiction of the end of a night out favourite, the Blue Lagoon in Gordon Street.
It even captures a poster in the window, boasting of the time pop superstar Justin Bieber visited in 2016. The legendary singer enjoyed a haggis supper and an Irn Bru from the chain’s nearby Argyle Street outlet.
One painting depicts the T.J. Hughes building in Argyle Street, while another puts an original spin on the much-Instagramed view from the Lighthouse, in the formal Herald offices in Mitchell Street.
“With the chip shop one, it’s good to have a little bit of humour in the work as well,” added Thomas.
“Sometimes it can seem really bleak. Working in oil can really capture the light."
The 28-year-old has been making art since 2010. He said that his chosen style allows to to capture the “light and the vibrancy” of what could otherwise be drab city street scenes.
Originally from Helensburgh, he studied in Dundee before moving the Glasgow in 2014.
Asked about the influence his adopted home city has had on his work, Thomas said: “Glasgow has a great art scene, there are a lot of good painters and there are always photography exhibitions. I really enjoy it, I think it has been great for my art.”
Thomas works from photographs he takes while out and about.
He then returns to his Trongate studio to review his snaps and turns them into detailed and considered paintings.
Thomas said: “Because I am capturing these very fleeing moments of light and of people, I want to get that specific moment.
“I walk around, often on my commute to the studio, I take photos on my phone and they’re just like snapshots.
“I compile them and I do sketches from them, that’s probably why they have that sort of realism.”
His pieces go on show at New Glasgow Society in a solo show from July 21-24 at 1307 Argyle Street, in Finnieston.
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