Steve Philips

I have lived in Highpoint 1 since August 2004. My partner Jane and I had been admiring the architecture from across the road at The Wrestlers pub, (in a strangely similar way to Lubetkin, who was apparently informed that the building opposite was for sale by the landlord).

Following an upturn in our finances, we decided to take the plunge and look for an available flat, aided and abetted by the owner of The Wrestlers and one, Les Dennis, who lived nearby. A tour of the property including the appearance of an inquisitive fox in the garden, sealed the deal. To this day, we are suspicious that the estate agent engineered the encounter, but I have no firm proof!

At my retirement three years ago, I decided that I would take up art, which had always been an interest. My first effort was a stylised portrait of a good friend for her birthday. Her reaction encouraged me to proceed, so I looked to my surroundings for inspiration. The first attempt was a detail of Highpoint's west wing, showing two balconies. I progressed from there to a full view of the same, from a dramatic photo taken by Jane. This was unexpectedly purchased by a kindly neighbour who had seen it in its unfinished state.

I should mention that I use primarily acrylic paint on primed linen canvas. This concentrates the mind wonderfully (as Dr. Johnson would say), as it's a quick-drying medium. I have an oil painting in production at the moment, just for variety. It's a view of the Tea Room from below the garden steps - I'll post here when it's completed.