Tulips - alla prima from life

Dear Subscribers,

Here is this month’s class demonstration, recorded on 2 May 2026. A few painters joined the live session, which ran for around 3 hours, so there is some discussion and commentary as I work. There is also an additional painting time after the live class without audio commentary which is sped up to bring the running time down. Total time to paint alla prima was about 5 hours.

The next live class will be on Saturday 6 June at 4 pm UK time. Details at the end of this newsletter for paying subscribers. If another time or day would work better for you to join the live classes please let me know and I will see if I can accomodate that or perhaps run an additional class if there is enough interest.

In this class, I paint pink double tulips from my garden, arranged in the studio.

I’ve included a photo reference of the subject below for anyone who would like to paint their own version. I’d love to see your results, so feel free to share them in the comments.

Feel free to ask any questions in the chat. I hope the session is useful and gives you something applicable to your own work.

I hope you find the recording interesting and I look forward to seeing you in the next class.

Many professional painters I know are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet in the current climate. The rising cost of living means that, for many people, buying art is no longer a realistic option. At the same time, more artists are turning to teaching in one form or another. The number of courses and workshops seems to grow year by year. For those looking to learn, the range of options has probably never been better.

For my own part, I want to focus on Substack as my main platform for teaching and sharing what I do. It allows for a more direct and personal connection, particularly through the live classes where we can have informal discussions while I demonstrate.

With that in mind, I have been thinking about how to bring more free subscribers into the fold. There are currently over 2,000 subscribers, but only around eighty are paying members. I suspect there are others who might be interested in more regular and in-depth material than the occasional email once or twice a month. One idea is to adjust the pricing structure to make full access more accessible.

If there’s enough interest, I’ll be glad to open up my full library and live sessions to a much larger group.

In a world increasingly filled with pixels and algorithms, I’m committed to keeping things human. Every piece I share is a result of years of practice. If my work has ever brightened your feed or inspired your own practice, please consider buying me a “coffee.”

A Thank You Gift: As a token of my gratitude, anyone who sends a tip of £1 or more via Ko-fi will receive complimentary access to my entire back-catalogue of recorded classes here on Substack for one full week. It’s a great way to see what the paid tier is all about!

Thank you for valuing the human behind the art.

Happy painting,

Alex

Paid subscribers receive the full articles and access to the live classes connected with them. Each subscription is roughly the price of a cup of coffee per month, but together they make a meaningful contribution that allows me to continue working and sharing material from my practice as a painter.

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