Charlotte mullins comments on white canoe

Alla Prima is Italian for “at the first” and in painting terms means completing a painting at once, in a single sitting or session. The overall aim is to capture an immediate impression of the subject

The connection between nature and creativity comes in many forms. Here, artists, writers and musicians talk about the different ways in which they take inspiration from the outdoors - and share the places that fuel their imagination

For over 30 years, I have lived in Walberswick – a tiny village on the east coast – in view of Southwold and its working harbour. I have walked, jogged (my kids usually call this shuffling) and sat an

Using a painting to envisage a room–or record it for posterity–provides an exciting alternative to digital technology, says Arabella Youens

WORKING in a stable, controlled environment is the reason most artists choose to paint at home or in a studio. Keeping canvases dry and away from the elements is a good reason for not working outdoors

Ian McEwan is strolling through the garden of his Cotswolds manor house. Bees waft drowsily between wildflowers. Plump apples, pears and walnuts bauble the trees. Vibrant cerulean-blue damselflies hov