Capturing the British Landscape: My Creative Process from Sketch to Studio Canvas

There is a distinct magic to the British landscape in the way the morning mist hangs over a valley, the sudden shift of the light across a field, or the dramatic shadows cast by a fast moving storm or my ultimate favourite which is either a sunset or sunrise. These are the fleeting moments especially if it involves the light that always inspires my work.

As an abstract and impressionist artist based in the London area my goal is not to create a photographic replica of a specific place but instead I want to capture that ‘moment in time’ and the ‘feeling’ of being there.

Selling original paintings ranging from small studio studies to large scale statement investment canvases means people often ask me: How does a landscape transform from a real world place into a finished piece of art?

Today, I’m taking you behind the studio door to share my exact creative process.

Phase 1: Fieldwork and the Intuitive Sketches

Every painting begins far away from the studio. I regularly travel out of London to immerse myself in the British countryside as well as having literally millions of photographs to remind of scenes and colours that interested me. When I find a vista that resonates I don’t sit down for hours to paint fine details in my small sketchbook and a basic travel palette I just try and get an idea of the colour, light or the movement of the clouds in the sky in order to work from back in the studio. Impressionism is about immediacy and I work quickly to record:

• The light: Where is the sun breaking through?

• The movement: How is the wind moving through the trees or grass?

• The tonal values: Where are the deepest shadows and the brightest highlights?

These quick sketches are the beginnings and the working out of a larger canvas and they act as visual notes that capture and remind me of the weather and emotion of the day, which a camera lens often flattens.

Phase 2: Bringing the Landscape back to the Studio

Once I am back in my studio the real transformation begins. I tape up my field sketches around the space and select a canvas.

For my larger statement pieces (which range from £500 to £3,500 depending on the size), the preparation is quite intense and immersing, I just escape and see what happens. I prime the canvas and block in the major shapes using loose, fluid washes of paint to mainly get rid of any white. At this stage I’m establishing the underlying composition and rhythm of the piece and I know with good background music if it’s going well the brush should start dancing across the canvas.

Phase 3: Building Texture and Atmosphere

The hallmark of my style is the light that I capture with texture and layers. Using a mix of different expressive size brushstrokes I apply paint in multiple layers allowing some of the layers to shine through and reveal those colours which add to the atmosphere.

The layering process takes a lot of time, often weeks depending if it takes a different turn which quite often happens when a painting takes its own journey. I work in acrylic so I always like to allow each layer to dry. Even though they almost dry overnight it allows me to work back into them if I know they are fully dry.

• The texture usually comes when I’m working on the detail when it captures the light especially so I quite often hang them on a wall whilst I am working on them. Hopefully the light will look different in the morning light than it does under evening lamplight.

• The soft blended edges create that classic impressionist atmosphere giving the viewer space to imagine their own memories in the landscape, especially as each painting has a lot of my own imagination.

Phase 4: The Final Polish and Presentation

A painting is only finished when it feels balanced and alive and I can live with it on my wall. Once the final brushstrokes are laid down the canvas must rest as I almost always see little touches I want to change but it helps know when it’s finally finished and ready for a new home.

Whether it is a smaller £140.00 study on paper or a massive 1 metre canvas, I always treat the final presentation with the utmost care. With my smaller pieces I always finish them off with a crisp white mount and my larger canvases I finish off with clean white edges. I always use a specialist art courier for my larger canvases and special delivery for my smaller mounted artworks to ensure safe arrival.

If you live locally I’m happy to deliver and talk to you about framing options and protection against the sun.

Bring the British Countryside Inside

Every painting carries a piece of the landscape it was born from and if you are looking to bring a sense of natural calm, light, and often space into your home you can explore my latest collection of original abstract landscapes directly from my studio.

‘Silent Dawn’ 60 × 50 cm

‘Broody Skies’ - 22 × 21 cm

‘Blue Mist’ - 27 × 27.5 cm

• Want Early Access? Join my Collector’s Club today to receive exclusive studio updates, early access to new painting drops, and 10% off your very first original artwork purchase.

Meet the artist:

I’m Mary an independent abstract and impressionist landscape artist. I’m based in London and my paintings are deeply inspired by the changing natural light and dramatic seasonal horizons. I build rich, blended layers to capture the emotional mood of a landscape. My original pieces hang in private collections around the world bringing a calming energy into homes and interior spaces.