There is something rather special about watching an artist at work. A finished painting gives us the end of the story, but rarely do we get to see the decisions, instinct and spontaneity that bring it to life.
This October, we’re turning the gallery into a working studio for one evening as Simon Wright and Nigel Smith paint live at The Circle Gallery for In the Moment.
On Thursday 8th October, from 5pm–7pm, the two artists will be working amongst a collection of their original paintings, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see their creative processes unfold. Add a glass of fizz and a few canapés, and we think it’s going to be a rather good evening.
Nigel Smith – painting to his own rhythm
Nigel’s distinctive paintings are filled with colour, texture and personality, drawing inspiration from music, travel and the places and experiences that stay with him.
Music is an important part of Nigel’s creative world. That sense of rhythm and freedom comes through in his work – paintings that feel expressive and spontaneous rather than overly planned or controlled.
Travel provides another constant source of inspiration. The colours, architecture, people and atmosphere of different places all find their way into his visual language, sometimes directly and sometimes simply as a feeling or memory that resurfaces on the canvas.
Watching Nigel paint gives you the opportunity to see that process in action: how an idea develops, how one mark prompts another and how a painting can change direction as it evolves.
And that is precisely what In the Moment is about.
Simon Wright – capturing energy as it happens
Simon Wright’s paintings have always been about movement and atmosphere. Whether he is capturing the drama of a racecourse, the bustle of a city street or the energy of a sporting event, his work has an immediacy that makes you feel as though you are right there in the scene.
This summer, Simon took that approach somewhere particularly special when he became the first Artist in Residence at Royal Ascot.
Painting live from the Royal Enclosure throughout Royal Ascot week, Simon worked on five paintings as the action unfolded around him. Rather than simply recreating a race from a photograph afterwards, he was able to respond to the movement, colour, crowds and atmosphere of the meeting while immersed in it.
The paintings were later completed in his studio, but their beginnings came directly from those moments at Ascot – something that gives them an energy all of their own.
For In the Moment, Simon will once again swap the relative calm of the studio for painting in front of an audience. Visitors will be able to watch as the first marks go onto the canvas and see how a painting develops through layers of colour, movement and instinct.
Two artists. Two approaches. One evening.
One of the things we love most about bringing Simon and Nigel together is how differently they approach their work.
There is no demonstration to follow and no predetermined finished painting waiting to be revealed. Instead, you’ll be watching two professional artists responding to their canvases in their own way – making decisions, changing direction and allowing each painting to develop in front of you.
It is a side of original art that we don’t often get to see.
Throughout the evening, the gallery will also be filled with a new collection of original work by both artists, giving you the chance to browse, chat to Simon and Nigel and perhaps discover a painting you would like to take home.
In the Moment
Simon Wright × Nigel Smith
Thursday 8th October 2026
5.00pm–7.00pm
Drinks & canapés
The Circle Gallery, 5–7 High Street, Sunninghill, Ascot SL5 9NQ
Come and see art as it happens.