Like many people, I've always had a great fondness for small paintings. This year I started making a series of them, based on the motifs and symbols which have inspired so much of my work over the years. I use small canvases, or blocks of MDF which I cover with primed Bockingford watercolour paper. This makes an excellent support for collages or paintings.

These mini paintings, or 'collectables', work well hung singly or in groups. I can report that the little Buddhas, which are rich in colour and texture, had the desired calming effect on me over Christmas as they gazed down from the kitchen wall on my hectic cooking activities!