John Graeme Pearson

Local Contemporary Art Prize 2026 – Finalist

Image courtesy of the artist.

John Graeme Pearson | Head of steam | 2024 | oil on canvas | 75 x 102cm

In A Head Of Steam I have tried to capture the atmosphere, texture, and light of a moment where industrial might meets the quiet poetry of dawn.

In the foreground, the steam locomotive takes centre stage, a dark, iron form glistening with moisture and traces of soot. Its metal surfaces reflect the faint golden blush of the early morning sun, which cuts low across the scene, filtering through thin mist and billowing steam. The soft diffusion of light as it strikes the vapour, turning the white clouds into swirls of pearl, silver, and pale cool hues.

The tracks gleam faintly, ribbons of steel catching the first light, and the ground bears a dusting of frost.

The sky is muted, a pale wash of ochre tones hinting at the sun’s slow rise. Smoke curls upward, merging with the clouded sky, creating a seamless blend of industrial and natural forms. In the distance, faint silhouettes of telegraph poles, sheds, and trees emerge through the mist, grounding the locomotive in its early 20th‑century landscape.

A handful of workers huddle together against the morning chill.

The overall mood is quiet yet powerful, the day just waking, the locomotive breathing life into the stillness. With the contrast between the warm tones of fire and steam and the cool, crisp winter air I have endeavoured to give the painting an emotional depth, suggesting both motion and solitude, strength and serenity.