She studied the great master painters in Florence and paints from real life, only rarely relying on photographs to help her create magnificent landscapes, portraits and still lifes for which she uses traditional materials, classic techniques and an extraordinary talent. Now living in Cape Town, former East Londoner Alice Toich, 31, spends months capturing luscious gardens, sublime landscapes, beloved people and achingly beautiful blooms with her paintbrushes; filling commissions with a heady .