My happiest childhood memories are filled with flowers and colour: my mum in her bold floral dresses, patiently sewing brightly patterned clothes for my siblings and me, and family holidays in cosy Scottish cottages adorned with floral wallpaper.
The outdoors has always been my safe place. Unlike the indoors, where that sense of security wasn't always guaranteed, nature offered me peace, freedom, and a place where I could simply be.
I remember wandering through gardens overflowing with wildflowers, where every corner seemed alive with colour. Looking back, I can see how those moments quietly shaped my love of vibrant patterns, nature, and the comfort of home.
There are no demands in nature. Flowers are free to bloom without being criticised for being "too much." Colours merge and mingle, complementing one another while never losing their own identity. Plants stand proudly, blooming when the time is right, trusting that they can weather the storms when winter inevitably arrives.
I see endless parallels between plants and people. I'm fascinated by the ways we mirror nature, but equally by the ways we've distanced ourselves from it. Nature doesn't ask us to compete, conform, or shrink ourselves. It simply reminds us that there is beauty in growing at our own pace, in embracing our individuality, and in trusting the seasons of our lives.
As an adult, painting allows me to stay deeply connected to a subject that has always been close to my heart. It invites me to be fully present, grounding me in the moment as other worries quietly dissolve. Painting botanical scenes connects me with every version of my younger self, satisfying my enduring thirst for natural beauty and my quiet belief that there may be something more.
Each painting is both an act of observation and remembrance—a way of returning to the places where I first found (and to continue to find) comfort, wonder, and a sense of belonging. Through my work, I hope to capture not only the beauty of the natural world, but also the feelings it has always given me: safety, hope, and the freedom to simply exist.
"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike. John Muir