Paul Simmons (XX) - Wet Paint

This painting is by the British artist Paul Simmons.
Simmons is known for his vibrant watercolors and oil paintings, which frequently capture street scenes, cafés, and landscapes from around the world. His style is often characterized by a distinctive mood of light, through which he presents everyday moments in a fresh light.
Some interesting facts about his work:
International success: His works have been published worldwide as art prints, including by “The Art Group” and in IKEA's print collection.
Most famous works: His painting “Café Provence,” which appeared at IKEA in 1993, sold over 750,000 copies and is regarded as one of his commercially most successful pieces.
Background: He trained at St. Martin’s School of Art in London and was a professional illustrator and painter throughout his life.
The present image shows a humorous scene with students on a park bench who ignored the “Wet Paint” sign (freshly painted) in the trash can and now wear blue paint spots on their clothing.

To verify the authenticity of this work, I made personal contact with the artist Paul Simmons. Here is an excerpt from his email message translated into German:

It is part of a series I created in the 1980s for a German advertising agency. At the time, I was a young artist and advertising illustrator. It was for a promotion for a rolling tobacco brand called Golden Gate. The task was to create paintings in the style of Norman Rockwell that depicted humorous scenes designed by the copywriter and art director of the agency. The illustrations appeared primarily as full-page magazine ads. The areas of the paintings with few details were intended to allow logos and lettering to be inserted already in the design phase.