South Bank Sunshine, Study

The South Bank has a special energy on a bright day. In this view across the Thames, the city seems to slow down for a moment as people stroll along the river, pause on the benches and watch London carry on around them. A flash of yellow catches the sunlight and draws the eye through the scene, bringing warmth to the softer, more restrained palette.

I’ve layered expressive marks, fragments of text and collage to capture both the structure of the city and the spontaneity of everyday life. The bare branches frame the familiar South Bank skyline, while boats, bridges and passing figures create little stories throughout the composition. It’s London at its most recognisable but also its most personal — busy, textured and full of details waiting to be discovered.

"Being challenged daily and discovering new and exciting ways of pushing boundaries keeps me motivated. My mixed media landscapes have something to say, which I like to express with collage and typography."

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Butler creates this narrative with an expert use of characterisation; the people that occupy his scenes, a stylised representation of society that has often been compared to L.S. Lowry, are complemented and modernised with Butler’s collages.His inclusion of newspaper text, slogans, statements or a single word, adds a depth and intrigue that keeps the audience hooked.This murmur from the artist, a quiet commentary accompanying the scene itself can be likened to the hum of the city, the gentle chatter of a metropolis. With this, Butler brings an essence of the City onto our walls and into our homes.