“Top of Finchley Road, Twilight” mixed media on canvas

This was an experiment in underpainting. I covered the entire canvas with rose pink, then added layers of white and blue to create a sense of the day ending.

The dark road surface and buildings came next – then the glowing traffic island – but for a long time I stared at the canvas wondering how to fill the lower third of the picture.

Eventually, I decided to paint cars and traffic lights, for additional areas of gleam – and the shadowy figures of a parent and child.