Winter Grey Afternoon, Sloane Square, 24" x 18", oil on canvas, 2011

I went about this piece over 2 sittings. The first sitting on the 27th of January and the second sitting on the 2nd of February. Then, the weather was really cold around 2 degrees and as you can see from the pictures I was padded up to the core! Even my feet were not spared to only boots had my "Ice Breakers" on.




Winter Grey Afternoon, Sloane Square, 24" x 18", oil on canvas, 2011 SOLD


I really love the view at Sloane Square, and I have always longed to paint it. So I decided to give real good go and I was pleased with the result over the two sittings. The advantages of painting on grey days is that the light doesn't change, so there's no need to be in a hurry to catch the light as it changes, the constant grey light has it's own beauty and it was also a good lesson on mixing a variety of greys.




My set up before the work starts





Keeping feet warm-My ice breakers!





I got one good observer to catch me while the work was in progress, first sitting.





Final touches on the second sitting.


Special Quote
Robert Goodwin, remarkably, knew exactly how far to drive a student without breaking him. In the first few minutes of my first morning at his studio, I felt I had already a year's training. I had, and I burst into tears. Robin metaphorically shook me by the scruff of the neck. 'You're kidding yourself if you imagine that you can paint only when you feel like it. And don't talk all that rubbish about painting from your "innermost self". The Electricity Board doesn't give a damn whether you're painting from your innermost self or from anywhere else. They want their bills paid. You've got to get into your studio at nine in the morning, even in the winter when it is so dark outside that you can't see your easel or canvas. You've got to paint all day long, until the light fails-Sundays as well. Treat it as business. If you are prepared to accept all this I'll teach you. But if not, bugger off now and stop wasting my time.' More tears. BUT I HAVE TO THANK HIM FOR MY SUCCESS AND I GREW ALMOST OVERNIGHT- David Shepherd recounts his first experience in an artist's studio in his book, " The man who loves Giants"