Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of painting at Giverny, immersing myself in a landscape that remains deeply connected to Claude Monet’s artistic legacy. Working from the window of Monet’s bedroom, I was continually conscious of the historical and emotional resonance of the view before me. The experience prompted reflection not only on the paintings created there, but also on the circumstances under which Monet produced some of his most remarkable work. I was particularly moved by the facts at the end of his life - profound personal losses, including the deaths of his wife and son, while also struggling with cataracts that affected his sight in a major way.

Although Giverny is now a huge destination for visitors from around the world, the opportunity to work in the garden before it opened each day offered moments of quiet observation and concentration. The dedication of the current gardeners - both to preserving Monet’s legacy and to ecology - created an environment in which I could respond directly to the shifting qualities of light, colour, and atmosphere. My aim has been to engage with the landscape, which has such a resonant history, through my own experience, exploring its continual transformation and the enduring dialogue between observation, memory, and paint.