A trip of a lifetime to India inspired me to paint the beautiful backwaters of Kochi in Kerala. A tour of the backwaters in a small country boat took me into the fantastic dreamlike paradise of the Indian jungle and it was this experience that I wanted to convey. ‘Like a dream’ was the lasting thought so I embarked on painting the scenes using a limited palette of pinks and golds with rich deep shadows and reflections in shades of paynes grey. The painting has created a soft, magical and exoticism which takes you away into my vision.

I made the work on a professional gesso board which has a very smooth surface which allowed me to manipulate thin layers of washes in oil pint and to work over the top giving different weight and textures. Gesso is an acrylic substance which is used as a primer for wooden boards, painted on in thin layers and sanded back for an ultra smooth surface.