The pattern used repeatedly in this series is a combination of zigzags and diamond lozenge shapes. It is first constructed in a grid formula using pencil, then erased so that the markings are barely perceptible but still visible enough to guide the colours for the structured design. This pattern appeared my squid series and some larger watercolour and graphite works exhibited in my solo at the Edge Gallery in 2017. The pattern-making process is time-consuming, not the sort of labour that’s meditative. It started off as a sympathetic gesture in perseverance but later grew into an obsession.

‘sky blue’ evolves into ‘blue sky’. One describes colour while the other describes a state of mind or a weather condition. Blue skies: everything is nice. A mental attitude. Adding a warm yellow on the zigzag pattern gives dimensionality to an otherwise flat pattern.