On route to Romiley from Marple, the embankment covered in frosted brambles caught my eye immediately - the colours were heightened in the frost, and appeared almost jewel like.

'Bramble' is from my ‘Rooted’ collection recalling walks with my daughter - navigating life as a new parent by connecting with local landscapes, rooting myself and forming friendships in the process. Each walk over the course of a year offers a different quality of light, and this quiet frosty path was a calm respite. Winter scenes are frequently cool in tone with a certain stillness, but I was struck by the beautiful richness of colour and the dominance of the brambles tumbling towards and intruding into the route.

Working with acrylics, I apply paint in thin layers, gradually adding texture towards the concluding stages of a piece and with a playful use of colour to reflect the tendency of details to fade with time. With paintings of this size taking between 20 and 30 hours, each is a labour of love.