February has seen chaos in the studio, a big, beautiful mess, but all for good reason. A couple of years ago I bought a poster from a local gift shop here in Marlow (Two for Joy), featuring an Indian Man in a beautiful pink turban - perfect for the Sulking Room Pink living room we had decorated - Barker & Stone also sell this print on their website. My friend Steph saw it, and immediately wanted the same print, but sadly they had sold out at the time. Anyway, she popped over to mine and I jokingly mentioned to her wouldn't it be great as an oil painting - her eyes widened, and I could see that she'd really love it if that happened.
So here it is, for her big birthday this week - a few of us had grouped together a little while back, and decided this is what we would create for her 50th. It seemed such an easy thing for me to pull together, but actually, looking back over the process, it was hugely emotional. This is never my best time of year, and like everyone, I miss the sun and feel quite low when it's not around that much. Coupled with lockdown, and we have a recipe for quite a challenging time. This piece of art has kept me going through the January and February heartache, my friends have been so so kind during the process, keeping me going while I was being triggered by so much - and at the same time, they were too. Steph is so worth this gift, her love and kindness is beyond anything we could have given her, and I hope it will bring her joy for years to come. Her reaction when she received it was priceless - lets just say there were tears! Happy Birthday Steph, this is for you x