I met Sarah outside South Kensington Tube Station in 2019. She was extremely tired and had just been moved along by a Security Guard. I got to know her over a seven day period and as I sketched her I got to understand her story. As with many of the homeless she had suffered abuse as a child and had found the streets of London as an escape. She was suffering with both physical and mental trauma, her legs had been badly burned and she had tried to protect the burns with makeshift bandages.
Sarah was so hopeful, so calm and such a beautiful person. I wanted the painting to be a painting of contradictions. I called it The Yellow Road as a reference to the Wizard of Oz. In the class society that we live in the road to riches is open to a select few and the other road that most people have to take is a road that is lonely and hard, our very own yellow brick road.
If you would like to commission a portrait please contact James by email james@jamesearleyartist.com or by mobile 0044 7551616352
