In 2012 I was commissioned to paint two versions of The Lloyds Building for the Going for Gold Ball. Right from the start, I faced a serious challenge – I was to paint two nearly identical scenes that could be featured either individually or as a pair. I took a day to explore the building’s aspects and the environment and made a series of photographs and sketches. It was then that I’ve noticed how the glass facade breaks and reflects the light. These reflections gave out different colours and the concept for my two paintings was born!

Sunny days are rare in London and I took the chance to capture the brightest moments of one of such days in the facade of the Lloyds Building. Although I was supposed to paint a fairly large glass structure, I saw something else amidst the glass and steel. There were warmth and beauty in this inherently cold reflective surface and this is where I found the image I wanted to depict.