The joker ride stood at the centre of High Town this year. Every year, in May, Hereford is visited by Danter’s Fun Fair for three days. This is a tradition that upholds the rights given by the City to its people over 900 years ago. For someone who loves colour, speed and movement the May Fair is three nights of noise with people and light movement.
The Joker ride is a jump & smile ride. It is mesmerising as it rotates, with arms bouncing up and down. Gathering speed until all you see is the swirl of lights. The operator controls the motion of the ride, and can make it do a range of movements, so it is not always the same each time. The lights are an array of colours. Joker, a cricket in top hat, stands still and solid in the middle over-seeing it all.
Back in the studio several of the images I captured were printed at A3 size. Pinned to the studio wall to inspire the painting; a build up of background layers of colour over a couple of days. Then it’s time to step back and paint at arms length. Bright colour to capture the flare of lights. The different types of motion in arcing strokes, and finally the colour sweeps. Joker ride is captured at four different stages. 
The expressive acrylic painting was exhibited with Herefordshire Art and Craft Society throughout October 2015 at Cafe @ All Saints in Hereford.
Fun fair rides also appear at some of the motor racing events I attend or their venures. Vintage at Goodwood in 2010 inspired a painting of people on the swing chair ride.
Joker
Acrylic painting on canvas textured 300 gsm paper. Size: 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm with 29.7 x 21 cm (actual image size). Click Paintings to buy.
