Watercolour painter captures Northwich's most iconic scenes

John Graven loves to paint buildings ‘with a bit of character’, including some of West Cheshire’s most iconic pubs.

The 74-year-old regularly puts his pictures up on Facebook, and is often contacted by landlords with offers to buy them.

John loves nothing more than rambling in the countryside with old pals, and has been known to barter pictures for a few free lunches and a couple of pints. 

“I never seem to be short of company on my walks,” the retired markets analyst said.

“It’s a bit of a standing joke among my walking friends, who ask where we’re getting our next free lunch.”

John's picture of Northwich Library was exhibited at VAC's Barons Quay gallery, and was bought by a Northwich town mayor (Image: John Graven)

John took up painting while at Helsby Grammar School in the 1960s, and went on to take A-level art.

Back then, he did lots of portraits of footballers, but gave it up when he started his own family.

“I didn’t have a lot of time back then,” the dad-of-two added.

The restored steamer, The Daniel Adamson or 'Danny', moored on the River Weaver (Image: John Graven)

But John returned to painting when he retired in 2009, teaching himself how to use notoriously tricky watercolours, and found he was a bit of a natural.

He was once invited to write a two-page spread in Paint Magazine, instructing readers how to use pen and watercolours most effectively.

He said: “People say watercolours are hard to learn, and I suppose they are in a way, but some aspects are actually quite easy.

John's watercolour and pen picture of Northwich's Bullring (Image: John Graven)

“To do a sky, you just have to cover the paper with water, and then drop the colour in.

“You let them mingle, then you can dabble out clouds with a bit of tissue.

“You also get quick results. I’m not patient enough for the likes of oils.

“I’m more or less self-taught, apart from having watched a few videos over the years. 

The Swinging Witch on Crown Street, one of Northwich's best-known boozers (Image: John Graven)

“I paint a lot of buildings, but they need to have something about them. I’m attracted by a bit of character, you might say.

“I’ve got quite a lot hanging in pubs in the area, including the Belmont and Ring ‘o Bells in Frodsham, the Ring o’ Bells in Daresbury, and they actually used my picture of the Hare and Hounds in Crowton on their menu.

John reckons his pictures usually take between five and six hours to complete (Image: John Graven)

“I put them on Facebook, and quite often the landlords offer to buy them.  

“I tell them they can have them for four lunches and four pints for four walkers. I never seem to be short of friends.”

John has had solo exhibitions of his work all over the county, and has sold paintings to buyers as far off as Phoenix, Arizona – in this case, of Great Budworth village.

John's portrait of Charlie Atkins (1902-1981) who spent his life collected chocolate crumb from Ellesmere Port in his narrowboat 'Mendip', transporting it Cadbury's Bournville factory (Image: John Graven)

He also gets commissions to paint people’s houses for them, and joked one day, someone’s going to expect him to turn up and start sanding down their window frames.

John is next exhibiting in Visual Arts Cheshire’s (VAC) September show, where all the pictures are by invitation only.

He added: “The last time I exhibited at VAC, Northwich’s town mayor bought my picture of the old library on Witton Street.

“The curator told me he was delighted with it. I hope it goes on bringing him pleasure.”