I have a very simple approach to painting. I like to paint the things of interest in the city, realistically. The lighting and colours in my work are from my imagination. I am always looking at the changing light of day and night on architecture and the landscape. When working from a line drawing only there is always a distortion of light and colour, this happens naturally and accidentally. If I see an area working successfully I leave it, other areas need to be worked over and over until they "sit right" with the mood I am trying to create.

I have always tried to paint my human characters in a natural and realistic way too, fitting them to the chosen light of the background. The figures in my paintings have always been fictional. I realised a long time ago that for flexibility I would have to learn to create them from my imagination. As I match them to a background they seem to tell a story, and when it is interesting and convincing enough, I stop.

The colours of the afternoon, dusk and night have always fascinated me. At the end of each day I like to watch the landscape and sky change from warm yellows to the deep blues of dusk, then the orange and red city lights begin to appear. I always choose, before I start, whether a painting will be mainly cool (blues and greens) or warm (yellows, reds, browns) I think the contrast between warm and cool colours in a painting is an interesting one.

Painting for me is a meditation. I think the "refining" and "perfecting" processes that happen when making an artwork are good for the mind and the soul. I have noticed that many of the greatest artists seem to live a very long time, perhaps it is painting that keeps them going.

Robert Brownhall