Gouache is opaque watercolour, similar to the poster paint that children use.

Gouache was used by designers because it made areas of flat matt colour and reproduced well in photographs. It is easier to use at a small size with narrow brushes. It is also used on paper. Painting in oils on canvas small scale can be a problem, so gouache works well for miniatures. My gouaches are mostly around 6 x 6 cm, with a wide margin on the sheet to make handling and framing easier.

The gouaches gave me a huge sense of freedom because I could be painterly and experiment but on a miniature scale. Overall, they have been my most popular works. Collectors like them because they are on a domestic scale and there is a wide range of subjects. Initially, I found images in newspapers that intrigued me and I would transcribe my own versions at the same size, making some alterations. I liked the off-hand, laconic character of the paintings. I find making the gouaches tremendously liberating as it allows me to be inventive and playful but within very tight limits