All That Glitters Is Not Gold | Painting the Aftermath of the Welsh Wildfires

In this week's It's a Colourful Life, I share the story behind my latest painting, All That Glitters Is Not Gold, inspired by the devastating wildfires near Conwy in North Wales.

Visiting the fire-damaged landscape was an incredibly moving experience. Against the blackened earth and skeletal remains of burnt vegetation, vibrant green shoots were already emerging, revealing nature's extraordinary capacity for regeneration.

In this video, I take you through the development of the painting, beginning with a geometric underpainting inspired by the sacred geometry of the Flower of Life. As I introduced expressive layers of colour, the underlying patterns began to resemble flames, an unexpected reflection of the landscape I had experienced.

The addition of gold leaf brings another dimension to the work, contrasting beauty with destruction and inviting reflection on the fragility and resilience of our natural environment.

All That Glitters Is Not Gold forms part of my developing series of contemporary semi-abstract landscape paintings inspired by wildfires in Wales and Bordeaux, France. Through this series, I explore our relationship with nature, the consequences of environmental change and the enduring possibility of hope and renewal.