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This painting was made around the time of my 47th birthday and is painted completely from life. It is about being middle aged, growing up and how birthdays become not so important as when you are a child. I spent this birthday organising my sons 10th birthday party and I didn’t receive flowers or gifts from my parents, my in laws or aunts and uncles and I was aware that as that generation become elderly and pass on we become the older generation, responsible for the giving of gifts and throwing of parties. And so time inevitably moves on. I’m wearing a party dress I never get to wear as I’m a stay at home mum with two young boys and the birthday flowers featured I bought myself. I use a lot of handed down lace and pattern in my work and here the lace evokes birthday tea party doilies and serves as a connection to the ladies in the past generation who would have spent hours on the lace work possibly for a celebration such as a birthday or christening. It also acts as a motif for the day to day domesticity which has become such a big part of my life as a mother."