Artist Cay Schröder is showcasing his watercolour and oil paintings in a new exhibition at Highgate Galley called Bodegón y Jazz.

Although he describes himself as a representational artist who enjoys using the skills and techniques of the Old Masters, he is still very much a modern painter of today.

When he studies da Vinci, Rembrandt, van Dyck and Velasquez, he examines how their creative processes work, as well as their colour palettes and methods.

He says: “Art can certainly shock, challenge or even disturb but it can also be an antidote to stress, creating a calm and peaceful atmosphere to enjoy.

“Visitors to my exhibition will find colourful still life, portraits of some of my musical heroes and maybe recognise some much loved landscapes.

“I hope to awaken a happy “feel good” response of recognition and pleasure.”

Cay lives with his wife in Camden but works mainly from his studio in the Canary Islands, where the quality of light gives a directness to his work both in watercolour and in oils.

His love of watercolour began while he was studying interior design at Chelsea, where he fell for the “unpredictability” of the medium and the challenge to control the paint for this very English art form.

He is inspired by the work of John Sell Cotman and William Russell Flint, as well as Rowland Hilder and David Curtis, which helped his early career in graphics, working in black and white ink and later gouache, which helps with the technique of mixing pigments to work in oils.

Cay’s ultimate favourite artis is John Singer Sargent, who dabbled with Impressionism but never joined the group.

He appreciates Sargent’s way of sticking to his own way of seeing and then painting gave Cay his own methodology of looking carefully until he can “see” his subject, before then being able to draw or paint.

Bodegón y Jazz, Highgate Gallery, Highgate High Street, Highgate, N6 5JG, July 7 to 20, details: hlsi.net