Newquay forecourt features in award-winning landscape

 It is not often that petrol stations are considered objects of beauty, but Mark Main’s Texaco forecourt on the edge of Newquay in Cornwall is an exception.

The Trevemper Road site, owned by Mark and Tina Main for the past 18 years, is the muse of an award-winning landscape painting with the iconic red branding set against a Milky Way sky.

Local artist Diane Griffiths, who won the People’s Choice category of The British Art Prize, was inspired by the dramatic night time colours of the forecourt while driving home from a day out with her partner.

“Being on a busy route in and out of Newquay, I drive past the forecourt all the time,” says Diane. “I knew that I wanted to submit to the competition and would need something different. And then as we were driving home after a day out I noticed the red against the deep blue sky.”

She later returned to take reference photos to give a true replica of the forecourt, but she superimposed the starry sky for effect.

The Main family have been delighted by the result, and Jack Main, the son of Mark and Tina and who joined the family business five years ago, purchased the canvas. The painting, titled Driving Home, was meant to be a surprise for his father for Christmas.

“It was meant to be a surprise but after all the publicity that’s not the case,” laughs Jack. “It’s something that we would never have expected to happen, and it is priceless to us,” he adds.

“We have loved all the attention and reading all the comments, with compliments to our staff, and someone up north saying that they filled up with us.

“The highlight for me was a radio interview in which we were described as a Newquay landmark. It made me quite emotional,” says Jack.

The painting is on its way to the family after appearing in an exhibition at London’s Oxo Tower on the South Bank. Jack says the original will be displayed in the family home, with a print to take pride of place at the petrol station.

Asked whether Diane would take commissions for other forecourt operators, she laughed. “I don’t normally take commissions, but who knows?

“I have been quite interested lately in night time painting and how colours change with manmade and natural light.”