Lydia: My experience on RAP ignited my fascination with the flamboyant nature of things; the baroque and the neoclassical. The programme was a wonderous opportunity to visit numerous locations in Rome and create drawings from observation. I was captivated by the grandiose nature of the water fountains outside the Vatican, and in Tivoli. The sensation of the water made me contemplate how this might correspond to the feeling of making a stroke when painting. This matched my interest in gesture, impulsivity and big painting. After seeing the Caravaggio’s in Villa Borghese, I was also struck by the power that can be generated through sharp contrast and black backdrops.