Oil and acrylic on canvas
 
This piece was created for my exhibition Endless Summer at Saltdean Lido, and it’s one of the more playful, surreal scenes in the collection - rooted in memory, local history, and my love of the wonderfully odd traditions of British seaside holidays.
 
Knobbly Knees was inspired by one of the audio recordings from the Saltdean Lido Heritage Hub, where someone recalled the old knobbly knees contest held across the road at the Ocean View Hotel (also known as Butlins Brighton) I thought it was such a brilliant, bizarre slice of history, and it made me smile straight away.
 
I loved the idea of men parading around, proudly showing off their knobbly knees, and I wanted to bring that strange, joyful energy into the painting. So, I filled the scene with figures leaping into the pool, dogs running wild, people (and dogs) bombing, and geese flying overhead - another symbol to represent freedom and movement.
 
It’s a painting full of action, colour and humour - a little celebration of seaside eccentricity, shared fun, and the brilliant chaos of summer by the pool.