In the February 2019 issue of The Artist, Paul Talbot-Greaves set readers the challenge of painting a snow scene.

Of the reader versions sent in, Paul selected the work of Kate Maliphant saying: 'Well Kate, you have certainly achieved all the relevant colours, shapes and values in the scene to great effect. You do have a lot of hard edges in your painting though, which suggests you may have used a fairly careful approach. Sometimes, paintings just need a little confidence, especially in the application of paint. I’d like to suggest you try the painting again at some future point but with a quicker, more spontaneous approach to your brushwork, aiming to complete the scene in under an hour. Use blocks of colour to simplify, especially in the tree. Hopefully you will achieve some lively marks and incidental blends of colours and edges. This will give your painting more energy and engagement with the viewer.

Thank you for submitting your work. I hope you found the exercise and my critique helpful'.

See all reader versions of Paul's snowy challenge by clicking here.