Since October, I’ve been working on a monthly process, painting a large canvas, then covering it over to begin again. It’s intentional. Each layer represents a feeling or experience, painted over by the next, like life, where so much sits beneath the surface. Some months I returned the canvas to white; others I worked straight over what was there. Each layer has taken on a different style, reflecting both the moment and how I’ve changed over time.

In March, I took myself off to Falmouth for a week. I’d never been before, and it felt somehow much further away than it really is. I went by train, which slowed everything down in a good way. No rushing, no driving, just watching the amazing landscape change. Falmouth itself felt full of contrast, wide skies, shifting weather, soft sandy coves one moment and rugged, rocky edges the next.

This week’s word is serendipity - those happy accidents that seem to find you when you’re not looking. The word itself comes from an old Persian tale about three princes who kept stumbling upon discoveries by chance, guided by curiosity and awareness rather than control. In my art, serendipity feels like the moment a drip lands perfectly, or a colour I didn’t plan suddenly makes the whole piece sing.

Not everything needs to be understood. Some things are meant to be felt and experienced. My word of the week has been mystery. Etymology & history of “mystery” From Latin mysterium → from Greek mystērion (plural mystēria) = “a secret rite, a hidden truth known only to the initiated.” Related to mystēs (“one who has been initiated”) and myein (“to close the eyes or lips”), suggesting secrecy or silent knowing.

As part of my Creative Hug, I have a word a week to inspire my art. This week, I’m doing everything with curiosity - in my drawings, my walks, daily life. I have enjoyed learning the etymology of "curiosity". Historically, curious took quite a journey. In medieval times, it was almost an insult - suggesting nosiness or meddling in things best left alone, especially divine mysteries.