I paint birds just because they come in such a dazzling variety of species. So many beautiful shapes and colours, with quirky features and lively beady eyes. The intricate patterns and colours of feathers encourage me to use techniques such as sgraffito where a layer of colour is scratched to reveal a contrasting layer beneath it. I found this worked beautifully on my starlings; I laid down some iridescent acrylic paint, covered it with oil pastel, then scratched those lovely v-shaped markings on the birds’ bodies. The metallic colour glows through, as if they’re caught in the sunshine.

If I could, I would take myself on an epic birdwatching trip around the world. I’ve been lucky enough to visit Colorado and East Africa and was delighted by the colourful bird life I saw everywhere - seemingly as common as our understated brown sparrows!