This piece is my partner’s favourite in this series – she calls it the ‘Crown Jewel’ because as the title suggests, it is the culmination of so many emotions, highs and lows in our life.

Although it was painted here in Cambodia, there is a touch of winter melancholy about this piece. On the left side, there is a hint of darkness with the dabs of cinnabar and hunter green. Moving towards the centre and lefthand side, sky blue and white begin filling the canvas with bright, dappled light, interspersed with spots of yellow.

This painting was made with what I call my ‘piano’ technique. I use my fingertips to apply the painting like I am playing the piano to achieve the ‘dappling’ and give the piece a lighter texture and an overall soothing effect.