Sauntering Through Stranmillis Streetlight - Original

Original Painting by Emily Johnston

Acrylic/ Mixed Media on 100cm canvas in bespoke Black floating tray frame by Sheldon’s.

Available to view in the Gallery.

Boasts metallic finishes throughout highlighting the reflection in the streetlight.

A very personal piece to Emily.

‘A little back story to this piece, is I’ve been thinking about painting it for 5 years..

5 years ago when I was studying at Queens I was struggling to find a parking space late at night outside my house in Stranmillis Park.

Not being the very best parallel Parker and having lost one of my mums wing mirrors trying to do so few weeks before, I ended up parking ages away.

Sprinting back to the house in the dark, I heard a rustle and panic froze, and then this little guy sauntered on out in front of me. Then he spotted me and froze, I thought he was going to make a run for it but to my surprise he walked towards me. Completely unafraid. He came right up to me and let me feed him a little snack I had in my bag. It was one of those moments that didn’t feel real.

I grew up surrounded by fields so I was used to seeing foxes, but never one that was so audacious. His colours were so vivid in the orange hue of the streetlights and his eyes were so piercing I became mesmerised by the idea of painting him. It was very surreal seeing the strange mixture of nature in such a harsh urban backdrop, I knew it was a moment I wanted to capture.

So for the last 5 years I have thought on and off about painting this gutsy little city fox I encountered that night and here he is