The paintings were made in The Hermitage Nature Reserve on Blackford Hill Glen, a place I return to often and one that has become central to my practice. Although it sits within the suburbs, the reserve has a remarkable sense of openness and escape. Well-trodden paths wind through the landscape, creating a dog walker’s paradise and drawing a constant flow of people through the space. Glimpses of the city occasionally appear between the trees, but the scale of the landscape, the movement of dogs, and the density of nature create a feeling of distance from urban life. What interests me most are the unexpected plant groupings that occur there: hostas, birch, mahonia and giant grasses growing together in seemingly discordant arrangements. These paintings emerged from observing those forms, alongside fleeting encounters with walkers and their dogs.