I’d always felt Hydrangeas were such regal blooms so I chose to paint these ones a stone urn, in a classical setting. It took me months to complete this oil painting as it proved to be a very frustrating exercise in patience – not my greatest virtue! I painted and repainted these particular ones many times as they constantly changed colour – each more beautiful than the last. I began by trying to capture the many vibrant shades of blue they displayed when growing an acid soil. Eventually I settled on the delicate ‘ashes of roses’ pink they became, continuing though paler shades of pink, red, violet and finally brown, before fading and drying out completely,. I couldn’t help but see a parallel with a woman’s natural beauty: that every age offers its own unique vibrancy; that, if nurtured and valued, and allowed to thrive in the right conditions, every woman can continue to bloom throughout all her glorious, changing stages- even once dried and spent. I finally understood that it is every woman’s basic right to be free to grow, blossom and reach maturity – and I determined that is a simple truth, worth fighting for.