I could only find limited information online on artist Thomas Hall. Hall studied at UCL and The Slade, and between 2015-2016 Hall exhibited a series called ‘Woodlands’, in which he painted his immediate surroundings; the streets around Islington, the scrubby underwood in London parks.
In response to Halls work, I explored my immediate surroundings and took some photographs of my garden at home. Walking around on a sunny day I came across the little butterfly atop these flowers. The whiteness and grainy texture in Hall’s painting on the right reminded me a little of the monotype printing I had previously undertaken so I decided to use this technique to depict the scene. As you can see as I used the monotype process the painting is a mirror image. Once printed I working in the image a little more with some additional oil paint. Comparing both images I think the painting could do with some warming up and some more warm yellows and oranges to bring it to life a little more.
I also wanted to try and capture some more man made elements in the garden and interesting angles – it appears as though in Hall’s painting on the left there is a fence or segregation of land, as there is quite a strong line through the middle of the painting. I like the below photograph due to the interesting angles and different textures. I think using oil was quite effective for this painting also, as I tried to paint in layers, some oil is thicker in parts than others which adds to the texture of the brick surface and leaves.
Rachel Matton 
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