Sitting in his regular spot at a café near his studio in Barons Court in London he began noticing Errol, a Big Issue seller. “I watched this guy swamped in various jackets and jumpers going about his business and became fascinated. I really wanted to paint or sculpt him. He was friendly enough but he was hard to understand and suggestions of modelling for me were met with a laugh, a mutter and a shrug”.
Eventually Guy’s studio partner persuaded Errol to go to the studio and after a tentative start the pair found a routine. “Nine o'clock start, milky coffee, Englebert Humperdink playing on repeat and gentle reminders from me to sit still as possible. After a while our conversations became more than just guesswork and I started piecing together Errol’s past. He told me stories about his life in Jamaica, America, Australia and the various jobs he'd done.”
Almost every morning for two months Errol sat in Guy’s studio. “While I got to know him better it became ever harder to try and pin down in clay or paint the many sides to his personality and show at least some of his unusual past. I have settled for a series of pieces which cumulatively give some sense of the man”.
Guy's work will be part of the forthcoming Art for Youth exhibition which is sponsored by Amlin. Established and emerging artists donate 35% of their sales to UK Youth and after 24 years the event has generated almost £1 million for the charity.
So what was Errol’s response to Guy’s work? “His initial reaction was that I’d made him look old, but I think he was only joking. After that he said he couldn’t have done better himself! He’s also brought his sisters to see the work and they think it sums him up very well.”
You can see Guy’s sculptures of Errol along with 1000 other pieces at the Art for Youth exhibition on 19-20th October at the Royal College of Art in London. The exhibition raises money for the national youth development charity UK Youth.
To see Guy’s paintings & sculptures of Errol click here and to book tickets for Art For Youth click here.
