My children provide the models for most of these artworks. They can never resist climbing trees and I have dozens of photographs where I try to capture intriguing dappled sunshine, shadow effects and the energy and concentration of the boys as they balance on branches. I always hope to avoid sentimentality – It’s never my intention to create romaticised images of “childhood wonder”, although I do like to suggest a feeling of happiness, freedom and tranquility in my work which applies to adults too!

I’m intrigued by the layering technques of former Turner Prize nominee, Hurvin Anderson. The areas of foliage in his work aren’t simply background but a key element. Some areas are left as colour washes and some have detailed leaves painted over the top. This gives a lovely sense of space. I also love the interplay between the positive and negative space in Anderson’s paintings. I’ve tried some of these approaches to abstraction when I paint trees, and they gave me the idea of using stencilled shapes.