Thesis advisor: George O'Har / As an untrained and self-taught painter, Scottish-born and London-bred artist Jack Vettriano draws on his own experiences to create provoking paintings that are both successful and controversial. His works, described as “pulp fiction novel covers” and “railway posters” of the 1950s, encompass scenes of ordinary people doing everyday things. His most famous work, The Singing Butler, now outsells van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Monet’s Water Lilies in Europe and the United Kingdom. In this 2005-2006 senior thesis entitled "Prime Meridian: A Collection of Short Stories," I have attempted to put a narrative to select Vettriano paintings. Based on the belief that every painting tells its own unique story, I worked to discover what this story was for me, and what the images and characters in Vettriano’s paintings incited. A series of six short pieces, set in late 20th century England, describe the realities and defining moments of life. I have attempted to make these as close as possible to actual British life through research, interviews, and my own experiences in London’s East End. This collection begins with "Tube Tension," which tracks a man in his spontaneous engagement plans and through a turbulent London Tube ride. "Brick Lane" focuses not on the woman in Vettriano’s painting, but the scene behind her. It is a story about how we remember the past, and if these memories are enough to sustain us through present. "Street Noise," a story in which a young woman has flashbacks to an event that changes her perception of the media and the world forever. In "The Pier," a son has to convince his mother why he must leave her, his hometown, and everything he knows. "Know Guardrails" follows a woman who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness. "The Zoo" is a day in the life of a London pub worker. He is forced to the Coroner’s Office when someone who he has seen at a nightclub is found dead. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2006. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program.