Eric Ravilious ‘No. 29 Bus’ Greetings Card.

Given that Eric Ravilious was perfectly at home using a caravan as a bedroom and another as a sitting room, one can imagine that the No. 29 bus depicted in this image must have at least inspired idle thoughts about adopting it as a fair-weather studio. The soft flare of the low winter sun provides an opportunity for some strong shadow work, with the sharp angles of the shed on the left contrasting wonderfully with the curving wood of the open gate.

Eric Ravilious (22 July 1903 – 2 September 1942) was an exceptional watercolourist, wood engraver and designer. He grew up in the shadow of the Sussex Downs in the coastal town of Eastbourne, the surrounding landscape of which heavily influenced many of his best known works. His instantly recognisable style, palette and choice of subject have an almost universal appeal, a blend which has increased in popularity with the passing of time, particularly in the first two decades of the 21st century.