Last year I went to a workshop with the artist Lindsey Cole, and I had such a great time learning new methods of painting. Some of the techniques were familiar but I hadn’t put it all together into one workflow before. It was such a great exercise to take a painting right from the start, creating a tonal drawing, then a mock painting, testing colours, and finally, a completed artwork.

The whole process was enjoyable. I remember quite a lot of Patti’s advice, which means it’s finally sinking in! I cannot believe it has been two years since I did Patti Mollica’s online course.

It was interesting seeing everyone else’s artwork, too. Sometimes, we preferred the “mock-ups” where we worked more quickly. They were more spontaneous and had more random, imperfect brush strokes. The earlier piece has vibrancy and energy, definitely, but I think overall my final piece was better than the earlier version. The composition, proportions and colours are more balanced. The brushstrokes are more considered. There are still bits I would change if I could go back, but I don’t want to overwork the paintings. I shall just try again with new reference material!

Over a year ago, I took the original reference photo on a rainy walk through the Chichester town centre near the cathedral. I really liked the silhouettes of the people walking in the rain, with the puddles reflecting underneath the storefronts. The geometric shapes created by the perspective was part of the appeal. Lastly, the glow was an important feature, so I chose to complement the yellow tones with shades of lilac. (Going for a complementary colour scheme, thank you Patti!)

The original mock-up and the final piece are now available to buy. Contact me on the Contact page if you would like to arrange purchase.