As the lockdown in Italy lifted in the middle of June, Simon and I flew the coop as soon as we could, and drove north to the wonderful rolling countryside of Tuscany. What could be more inspiring for an artist than spending a week in the heart of the Chianti winelands in early summer? The weather was perfect, allowing me to paint in the traditional Villa garden without any bother.

With so many vistas and panoramas to choose from, I was like a child running from one beautiful scene to the next. From the courtyard to a secret garden to a shady spot under a cherry tree. Then along cypress tree lined roads, through vineyards and oak forests. A breeze kept the olive trees fluttering their silvery green leaves – a lovely sight that’s altogether more difficult to capture on paper. I forgot to bring my folding chair, so some work was done squatting on the floor.

The staff at the villa were careful not to interrupt the flow of paint and left me in peace to splash away. At the end of the week we put them all up for show and the Villa staff got to choose their favourites, while the rest were eagerly snapped up by our friends who had come from France to ride bikes with Simon. It was, after all, not a public showing, since we still have strict social distancing rules to follow. We kept to the bubble protocol.