Painting in the snow, racing against the sun

An artist who gets up early on snow days to capture night-time scenes has said the time pressure of the approaching dawn makes him more productive.

Rob Pointon from Rode Heath near Alsager, Cheshire, returns home after completing major painting commissions in the hope of later painting local landscapes “coming to life".

Wrapped up in multiple layers and guarded by an umbrella, Mr Pointon races to oil paint a full canvas before the sun has risen.

“At 3am, I was twitching at the curtains when I heard the weather forecast," he said of snowfall in November.

“I go out and just paint as much as I can before I freeze up.”

The Royal Drawing School graduate said the snowfall “animates everything".

“Suddenly there's ten times more subjects around you than there seems to be on a normal day," he smiled.

Mr Pointon said he relished the pressure of painting the changing elements and became “more productive in uncomfortable conditions".

“It can stop you procrastinating knowing you've only got an hour and a half before things start to really change,” he explained.

“You've just gotta go for it.”

The weekend's snowfall was no exception, with Mr Pointon going outside in the early hours to capture a scene in Alsager.

Mr Pointon spent much of 2024 working on a London exhibition, with commissions from the Household Cavalry & Household Division.

He has painted the ceremonial activities of The British Army and the protection of The Royal Households.

But winter is a time when he can return home to paint the local estates, town centres and oatcake shops.

“When the world goes quiet, I tend to give myself this painting challenge to just get out locally and get something done,” he said.