I recently completed a decorative project for a friend. They had purchased a wooden cutout of a beach shoreline and palm trees that hangs on the wall and wanted it painted accordingly. The scent of acrylic paint reminded me of when my mother and grandmother were always painting ceramics and firing greenware, and as they worked on their elaborate Christmas scenes, figures and wildlife, I was sitting at the table painting butterflies and ducklings. It was certainly influenced my interests in art and design, and remains a fond memory.