Catch a Luxury ride at the Gonville Hotel


The Gonville Hotel in Cambridge England, family run for three generations, has a small fleet of luxury Bentley limousines to tour you around the city before a traditional and delicious afternoon tea.


I was taken by the sensual lines and two-tone paint of this beautiful Bentley waiting patiently outside the front door. The 1958 Bentley S1 4-door limousine has an 4.9 litre inline six cylinder engine with a 4-speed transmission, and the anticipated lavish interior with leather and burled walnut trim. You would be forgiven for thinking it was a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud as only the radiator grill shape and badges are different. Check out the ‘Flying B’ bonnet mascot: ultimate symbol of Bentley design and craft. The Gonville also has a 1950s Bentley Mark -IV R-type saloon in brown, and a late model Bentley Arnage.

Classic Rolls-Royce luxury car in champagne gold color parked on a tree-lined street.
Classic silver Bentley luxury car parked on autumn street with fallen leaves visible on ground.
Close-up view of a Bentley hood ornament showing the iconic flying B mascot against a blurred green background.
A long gray luxury Bentley limousine parked in front of a brick building.

Getting the Right Light


The car was parked well enough to locate a good composition balancing the vehicle as the main subject with the warm welcoming gold tones of the hotel front entrance. Some of the ambient lighting reflects from the roof and the bonnet, (sorry, the hood), to link the vehicle with its environment.


Next a number of passes with the light wand were exposed to highlight the curves of the bodywork, the two color tones of the paint, the brown leather of the interior, the long hood, and the details of the grille and lights, emphasizing the powerful stance and exquisite craftsmanship.

A single frame from a John Gayler light painting of a classic Bentley Limousine background shot at the Gonville Hotel at night
A single frame from a John Gayler light painting of a classic Bentley highlighting the curves of the limousine at the Gonville Hotel

The Build


After the lightpainting passes were completed it was time for the build. The individual layers are opened on the computer, examined, and selected for carefully layering together, blending into the finished product.


There is skill and judgment combined with a lot of attention to detail, and an artful vision in creating the finished image, suitable to be printed and hung on the wall.


This image would look great printed at 40" wide 30" high on metal with a high gloss finish for a dramatic and luminous showpiece.

Click the image below to enlarge and see in more detail.

John Gayler Light Painting fine art wall portrait of a classic Bentley S1 limousine waiting outside the Gonville Hotel in Cambridge UK