'I’d always wanted to paint the corner with the London Library, and then I found out this whole corner of St. James's Square is full of of tropical plants, like banana trees and a palm tree. And I love the strange cactus in front. And so I just wanted to capture it. It looked fantastic in the summer. I remember that while I was painting it, a fox came past. In fact, I've seen that fox a lot now, but then was the first time I'd seen it.'
Melissa Scott-Miller, 2025