In literature, scenes can be described in great detail. These descriptions form quite a strong picture in a painter’s mind and can be most inspiring. We can go way back in history for some very provocative images; Victorian painters were much inspired by the classical Greek and Roman stories, and the notion that ‘every picture tells a story’ dominated British painting for years – many images were quite complex affairs involving landscape, seascape and figures.
Some of the best stories for illustration and painting come from children’s literature, illustrated by the likes of Arthur Rackham and Sir John Tenniel, which I find very stimulating. In 2020 I was commissioned to produce a mural of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party for a drab corner of a pub courtyard. I alternately baked and froze in the typical English weather but it was a lot of fun. Although I followed much
