Pembroke College Chapel from the Library Lawn

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Pembroke College Chapel from the Library Lawn is an original oil painting by Nick Grove.

I hadn’t even stepped out of the car before regretting the decision to set off from home. The rain was falling just as heavily as forecast, though I’d chosen to ignore it. Still, sometimes the only option is to get out anyway. There was little sense in wandering aimlessly and getting soaked, so I stopped at the first opportunity—a view towards St Mary’s that immediately held my attention.
By pressing myself against the stone wall of Pembroke College, I found some shelter from the worst of the rain. I selected the smallest panel I carry and began to paint. Wet conditions can be surprisingly enjoyable to work in. Painting wet into wet suits the subject perfectly, and the rain itself becomes part of the vocabulary. Falling droplets, painted dark against a bright sky or light against darker forms, create simple but convincing accents that bring the surface alive.
The scene also carried a personal resonance. The previous year, I had been invited to paint inside the grounds of Pembroke College itself. After negotiating with the porters—promising faithfully to stay off the lawn—I spent a glorious day working within the college. It offered a rare glimpse into student life, removed from the crowds that dominate Cambridge in summer. The grounds are remarkably beautiful, calm, and self-contained.
That day ended with an unexpected kindness: a full English breakfast provided by the college kitchen. It remains one of the most generously hosted painting experiences I’ve had, and it deepened my affection for this corner of Cambridge—both as a painter and as an observer.