This piece is another exploration of what can happen within a limited palette. Working with cadmium red light, quinacridone magenta, yellow ochre, black and white, I wanted to see how many different neutrals I could create through mixing and how closely they could sit together while still defining the composition.

The painting developed through many layers, with areas repeatedly painted over while allowing traces of the original brushwork and earlier decisions to remain visible. Rather than completely covering what came before, I wanted those marks to become part of the final surface.

The tablescape again gives me a structure for experimenting with colour and shape. Here, I also carved the branch lines directly into the panel, adding another kind of mark to contrast with the larger painted forms.