Gail Myerscough creates Blackburn landmark illustrations

Gail Myerscough now lives in Manchester but grew up in the Witton area of Blackburn where her parents still live.

Her main body of work focuses on surface pattern design and illustration, and it’s the latter where she has found great success with stylish, modern illustrations of her hometown.

The clock tower remains part of Blackburn Mall, which was opened in 1967 (Image: Gail Myerscough)

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Gail said: “I had a stall at the Festival of Making, they asked me to do the Maker’s Market with my work.

"I thought I would do some old Blackburn designs for the fair.

“I’d always thought about doing Blackburn designs. People had always said that I should draw The Spiral.

"Before they built the new bus station, where the market was there was a brilliant spiral walkway.

“Someone also said I should do the El Greco, which is an old café in Blackburn.

"You went down a ramp and it’s just three circular windows. You could get chips and gravy in there. Everyone went there and it’s very retro.”

Gail said the El Greco picture has been her best-selling print in July, selling hundreds of copies.

Having moved to Manchester more than a decade ago, she said it can be hard to recognise parts of Blackburn with it changing so much.

The El Greco cafe is fondly remembered by people in Blackburn (Image: Gail Myerscough)

She said: “When I come back I don’t recognise it really, it’s very weird. I’ve been in Manchester nearly 12 years and all the places I knew and recognised have all gone.

“I thought it was very niche just doing old Blackburn but I’ve had a great response to them. I might do some more now!”

Despite her success as an artist, it wasn’t something that ran in the family.

“I don’t know where I got it from,” she said. “Art wasn’t in the family.

"But I’ve done the family tree and going right back to the 1500s they’re all in textiles. Maybe it’s in my blood!

The Spiral connected the former Blackburn Market to the Mall (Image: Gail Myerscough)

“It wasn’t something my mum or dad were interested in. Or my brother, he’s quite mathematical.

“I did art GCSE, went to Blackburn College for my A-Levels where I did art, and then I did a foundation course at Blackburn Art College before going onto Leicester to study surface pattern design in the early 90s.”

If you are interested in purchasing Gail’s Blackburn work, take a look at her website at gailmyerscough.co.uk.