Brixton-based illustrator Gaby Harrison is celebrating local businesses by capturing them in ink and watercolour.
Keen to honour the many independent local restaurants and pubs, many of which were forced to close during lockdown, she has launched a series of “Brixton business” paintings on social media.
As businesses begin to open their doors once more, the series will encourage residents to refocus their consumer habits around small and local enterprises.
Gaby says: “Before lockdown, Brixton was a hub of incredible independent businesses, all knocking socks off left, right and centre with their creativity and quality.
“Many of us assumed that these things alone would ensure the stability and longevity of those businesses, but it’s now obvious that we all have a responsibility to protect, support and most of all celebrate our local independents, because they will always be vulnerable to external factors.
“I’m aiming to do just that by sharing a painting, every week, of a venue in Brixton that has been sorely missed over the last few months.”
Gaby, whose work you can find on her draw the line website first picked up a sketchbook on holiday in Italy and was “immediately captivated by the power of putting pen to paper”.
Her work “allows me to preserve moments and spaces that are special to me. But, more than that, the pictures I make are themselves special – one-offs, alive with the moment of their making.”
Gaby is in business herself, selling bespoke portraits of homes, pets, and soft toys, working from photographs and client specifications. They can ordered through her website or Instagram.
A selection of her Brixton paintings are available to buy as prints at £30.
