Workmen in the House (after Stanley Spencer) by Craig Simpson

Craig wanted to pay tribute to Stanley Spencer in this painting, a personal influence on his own work. The composition is loosely based on a famous painting by Spencer, with two men working away while Elsie (the Spencer’s maid) and Unity Spencer (Stanley’s daughter) in the foreground. Craig has substituted himself as the workmen in his own version and used his sister and nephew as the figures playing in the foreground. There’s a personal family connection to this painting and the wooden rocking horse was made for Craig by his father when he was a similar age to his nephew.