It all began with lockdown

In London. Empty streets. A garden view from our windows. Time on my hands and an iPad within reach. I was reading about David Hockney—an artist who’s been famous for decades—and now in his dotage had embraced the iPad to make spectacular art. I’m pretty sure he was the one who said that if Michelangelo were alive today, he’d certainly use one.

I had the tech. I had the time. But absolutely no painting experience and, honestly, no previous interest in trying. Still, I figured: How hard could it be to make marks on an 12 inch iPad screen?

Not very hard is the answer. So I quickly moved on to real acrylics and real oils and the delusions ended the moment I touched a brush to canvas. The iPad is satisfyingly fast and clean and has a delete button. The mess and the friction of actual paint is a completely different scenario. So is waiting for it to dry!

What you see here is a small selection of those first digital results—and the early transition to paints and canvas.