SHADES OF GREY

I live fairly near to the National Trust’s Fenton House in Hampstead and frequently visit its tranquil walled garden – an oasis in this busy part of north London. One particularly bright morning towards the end of last summer, I noticed little patches of sunlight dancing on to a dense patch of flowers through the branches of the tree overhead.

The flowers were Japanese anemones which I have painted numerous times. I am fascinated by the tall, architectural shape of the stems and the simple, archetypal flower structure which gives them a timeless quality.

To many people flowers symbolise the rhythm and continuity of the natural world, but also its transience. My painting, , aimed to capture some of this joyous but fleeting presence. I also wanted to capture the feeling of movement