STAGE ONE
My first wash of cadmium orange and cadmium red was used to stain the canvas and establish the general atmosphere of the scene, with potential high-lit areas being lifted out. The design being very complex, I made a few marks with a broad-tipped marker pen to remind myself where some key darks were to be placed

STAGE TWO
When starting to block in, the fundamentals of the planned design were soon put in place. With so much going on, I had decided at the outset that the water in the bay and the distant village had to be described in very simple terms and in flat colours.  These parts of the painting remained virtually unchanged from then on

STAGE THREE
Blocking-in was completed by developing the corresponding pattern of light colours – punctuating and emphasising the darker elements.  The floor pattern was developed with a new colour, pale blue; this was the sea colour (turquoise, white and a little light blue), with a little white and permanent rose added, which made it look quite different.  Other blues were brought into play as the shadows on the floor were deepened, and Naples yellow was used to elaborate the pattern of the tiling

FINISHED PAINTING
Andros Afternoon, oil on canvas panel, 23½ x 23½in (60x60cm).  As ever, pulling a painting together involves working over almost all of the canvas, comparing one edge and area of colour against those next to and surrounding it to produce a believable and interesting whole. This is when ‘magic’ can occur or be lost as the original idea is brought to completion. As a general rule less is more – an infuriating but very true saying – and it is advisable to spread this final stage over a number of separate days and sessions while working on something else, during which time putting the painting into a frame will make a  huge difference because it asks us to look into the picture rather than at it.