Back in December, I was aware that my creative mojo was waning a little – it was maybe the longer evenings or just that time of year but I could feel the creepies trying to undermine my spirit so...I served myself a dose of my own medicine.

I've been guilty of using this phrase regularly when I've been asked to describe my paintings. I'm afraid my 30 second elevator pitch has always been lacking - I've always thought I had more important stuff to do than deliberate over why I paint what I do, let alone articulate it in a way that won't leave the room quietly nodding off while I ramble on.

As the painting already had a space to fill we discussed my creating for her a painting in a similar style, using the same colour palette and with a similar subject matter. To have a 'because' can really help me embed personal meaning into the painting while I work...it could be as simple as special place, a poem, even a colour; just a little seed that I can nurture and plant inside the painted layers.