Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club’s Kevin Hornsey relates his journey from a young boy starting to paint on canvas through to painting stage scenery.
At the age of eleven, I started exploring art with oil painting on canvas boards. I joined an adult oil painting club, where I was the only child in the class! From the artist who ran the class, I learned new painting skills.
I remember the artist painting a large scenic picture with horses, and the horses looked so real. I sat there wishing that I could paint like that. I knew that if I kept practising, one day I could.
I have been a member of The Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club since 1997, and I have always wanted to try something new and challenging within the club, but I never had the confidence to volunteer as the club’s set painter (deco). The job is huge!
It wasn’t until 2015 that I volunteered to help with the set painting for Aladdin. It was there that I discovered my love for painting the club’s scenery, which would eventually be displayed on stage, lit with wonderful lighting. I remember painting a huge dragon that looked amazing. I knew I’d found a new skill within SLTC.
Since Aladdin, I have been the main scenery painter for at least nine SLTC stage productions. Seeing my artwork on stage is the best feeling ever.
As SLTC’s scenery painter, the most memorable stage production for me would have to be Pinocchio. This was my first stage production as the main scenery painter. I must admit, the task felt extremely daunting. The amount of scenery was huge. Luckily, SLTC has a great, talented set construction team, so they were always ahead of me, ensuring that I wouldn’t fall behind. This show alone took me roughly sixty hours to complete and required a massive amount of commitment. The finished scenery looked incredible! For me, it was a huge achievement.
So, if someone asked me what I’d prefer – painting with artist oil paints on a canvas board or painting stage scenery with emulsion while hanging from a ladder – I wouldn’t be able to answer, as I love doing both. I simply love all art.
Honestly, I can’t wait for the next scenery painting adventure. The Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club has some exciting productions coming up next year and beyond, so fingers crossed!