Rush Hour III

100CMX80CM, OIL ON CANVAS, 2007

One of my friends entered the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 2005 and won third prize. I said if she could do it, I’d give it a try and so in 2006, I entered two paintings. I got some votes but not enough to be accepted. Still, I decided to go to the awards ceremony at the private view to see who won. I watched as the prizes were given out and said to myself, “That’s going to be me next year.”

I worked on paintings for about three months as I still had a full-time job. I entered a couple of paintings, and, to my uttermost surprise, Rush Hour III won first prize. I even got a call from the President.

That was the beginning of my romance with the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and I have never stopped submitting work, from 2007 until this day. Now, I am even the Vice President, which is unbelievable. It just goes to show that you should never stop believing in yourself. Every setback is a set-up for greater things to come.

I was gearing up for the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea. I was out to make sure I did my best paintings in preparation for the show. I decided to paint a picture that would be a rain scene but not on a grey rainy day. Instead, I wanted a rainy day with sunshine, colours, shadows and reflections.

I also wanted it to have a few figures in motion. I would go hunting on days after it had rained whilst the sun was out. I was so happy when the perfect opportunity presented itself in Holborn. It was vibrant, warm and colourful. This is the scene you see here.

I was so happy the painting sold on the first night. Even though the collectors are not allowed to contact the artists, the buyer was so pleased with the work, she got a message to me saying she was absolutely thrilled with it.

It’s encounters like this that make me feel I have chosen the right path. Even though there’s been ups and downs, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else with my time other than enjoying and creating beautiful art that people love.