The artist: Since graduating from Gray's School of Art, my work over many years has been based on my relationship with two gardens in particular, Kellie Castle garden, once the home of the Lorimers, sculptors and painters, and my own walled garden by the sea. By treading a path between abstraction and recording what I see, I have been trying to find the elements of surprise and delight found in these gardens.
My interest in the history of gardens starts with the first recorded gardens in Persia, "a paradise" created within high walls. We can see water, birds and trees in Persian miniature paintings, providing a place of sanctuary. From the sacred Garden of Eden, through the Renaissance gardens as status symbol, to the herbal garden of healers, to private botanical collections, to the domestic gardens of today, gardens provide us with delight and inspiration. With this particular painting, I tried to capture the moment of stillness just before dawn in my garden.