Yorkminster, York

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Yorkminster, York is an original oil painting by Nick Grove.

Painted en plein air by Nick Grove RSMA.
While on a family holiday in York, I managed to steal away for a morning of painting. I had worked in this area once before, producing a similar painting from further up Museum Street, and I knew I would eventually return. Still, I spent a long time wandering the cobbled streets in search of a better view.
It turns out there are very few places at ground level where the entirety of York Minster is visible. Even here, where the view is remarkably open, I chose to let the cathedral extend beyond the top edge of the painting to emphasise its immense scale. I found a workable position among the traffic lights where I could set up undisturbed and began to paint.
Only at the very end did someone tap me on the shoulder. It was the Tourist Liaison Officer, who had been stationed behind me directing visitors. She had watched the entire process and came over to say hello—“fascinating,” she kept repeating. It’s easy to forget how rarely people encounter an artist working from life. I think, that morning at least, I made her day.