When I came out of the other side of my Artist’s block about a year after mom’s funeral, I resolved a few things about my practice. Mostly that I would paint whatever I wanted to, for me, that I would paint what was important to me and not care about whether it would be commercial or Avant-Garde. I have often talked at length with other artists at various fairs and shows, one thing that stuck in my memory was “paintings of flowers don’t sell” A few artists have said this to me. In reply I say “I don’t care”. 

 Mom was a fantastic garden designer who won RHS medals for show gardens at Chelsea and Malvern but more importantly focused on sustainability and produced gardens that meant a great deal to her, she did not just follow the money. Her Legacy is in gardens that assist the healing process, such as her garden for grieving parents at the National Memorial Arboretum, her last garden at Hellen’s manor and her stunning garden at St Michael's Hospice in Hereford. Her favoured design pallet reminded me of the colours of the poppy. She is still here in the gardens she left behind for us. 
When I finished the painting, I varnished it, but because I had been out of action for a good while the varnish had settled and even though I shook the bottle well it didn’t work and ruined the painting, I had to spend several heart-breaking hours scrubbing the varnish off with turpentine and in doing this I badly marked the surface of the painting, This meant I had to repaint the whole thing again over the top.