About
Realist painter and teacher, with more than 30 years spent studying the light, colour and detail that make a painting feel believable.
The approach
For me, realism isn’t simply about adding more detail. It’s about observing the right things — light, colour, edges, texture and atmosphere — and knowing what to leave out. That balance has shaped the way I paint and teach, and I’m still refining it with every painting.
More than three decades of painting. Millions of viewers worldwide. One approach built around observation.
Studio practice
Most of my work begins with the natural world. I’m particularly drawn to changing light, water, trees, mist and the small details that give a place its atmosphere. Some paintings begin with a real location, while others develop into something that exists only in the finished work. What matters to me is that it feels believable.
Explore originalsTeaching
Teaching grew naturally out of painting. Through MJS TV I show the complete process — from the first drawing and colour decisions through to the final details — explaining not just what I’m doing, but the decisions behind it. The aim is to help other artists understand the process well enough to apply it to their own work.
Explore MJS TVExplore the work