I don’t have an artistic background. At school I was more academic than arty and my working life was spent in marketing and copywriting.

But I have always wanted to be able to paint. In late 2019, I finally put my long-held dreams to the test and bought some paper, a cheap box of student watercolours and an instructional book on sketching and painting.

I was hooked. I wanted to learn as much as possible and spent the next few years devouring art books, following YouTube tutorials and trying out different techniques, subjects and art supplies. I always came back to ink and watercolour, though. I gradually upgraded to artist level materials and found an enduring love for drawing with fountain pen.

Architecture has always fascinated me. It started with Battersea Power Station, which I would actively look out for when travelling into London by train. Back then, it was empty and run down, but I still loved its shape and size. This grew into a wider appreciation of buildings of all types – from crumbling ruins, to magnificent palaces and cathedrals and even today’s more stark and brutalist constructions. Happily, I discovered I wasn’t alone and that there was a global urban sketching movement. I continue to be inspired by other urban sketchers and and strive to reach their level of skill when I go to London Urban Sketchers meet ups.

Until late 2024, my art was just a hobby. But my copywriting business was seriously affected by both the economic downturn and the rise of AI. I made the decision to retire from the corporate grind and grasped the opportunity to develop my art.

Living in London, I find there are seemingly endless possibilities for capturing the urban landscape. Like many, I love the famous London landmarks, but I can equally find myself drawn to an intricate church or a quirky pub. In fact, I feel that any building, cityscape or architectural detail can come alive in ink and watercolour.