I feel most inspired at home. I'm a Cancer and a huge homebody, and I've just started decorating my first house and creating a warm space for myself - I'm finding so much joy in choosing objects and colours for rooms and watching that translate into my paintings too. I think i’m always looking for inspiration in every part of life.. I rarely have a day where i’ve not taken my phone out to take pictures of stuff I see. I’m also hugely inspired by the rich natural palette of the forest and love to bring those colours into my work. 

My ideas come alive at night annoyingly! I'll often do quick sketches on my iPad in the evening when something sparks so I don't lose it. I love to drink lots of tea (Yorkshire Gold only!) when I'm painting and listen to a playlist.. my favourite ‘making music’ at the moment is Sade or Aphex Twin. Also loving The Mighty Tiny & The Many Few album ‘be the good people’ - these little rituals help me to slow down and let the paintings breathe a little, I find it so meditative once I get going.

It's an equal mix. Sometimes I'll see a colour combination I like and it'll spark a memory. Other times I'll remember the feeling of being on holiday or eating a lovely meal with friends, and I'll try to capture the feeling of it rather than replicate it exactly. I love pairing things that don't typically go together but still represent small pleasures we all like - like olives and coffee.

When I think about what I enjoy most in life, it's often rooted in being on holiday with friends or family, enjoying a shared meal, or being at a wine bar with my fiancé. I love those little moments frozen in time. I like to paint those almost as rituals.. wine bar date nights, cosy reading mornings, the things that make life feel good.

William Scott's abstract still lifes are some I come back to over and over. I love his minimal colour palette and composition. I also love the rich, deep colours Vanessa Bell used in her paintings and interiors.. there's something so warm and lived-in about them.

If I'm feeling really stuck I'll look through the book The Artist's Palette for inspiration on colours, or get my charcoals out and start drawing random shapes and see where it takes me without any real pressure or expectation. I also look around at objects in my house - finding objects or food combinations that maybe don't typically go together. Inspiration is always in artist books, at art galleries, or in food magazines too.

It's not on my phone. I also feel stunted if I try and overthink an idea too much so I try to avoid that..

I hope it reminds them to look for pleasure in the mundane or the often overlooked parts of life.. a table to sit and eat at, your favourite drink, hosting friends, little snack plates. The silly little things we might sometimes take for granted but really do bring peace and contentment.

I have a some lovely holidays coming up in Europe and i’m excited to visit the food and antique markets there and find new foods, rituals and objects to paint.