It starts with a pre-cut wooden stretcher and some canvas.

The outer edges of the stretcher are specially bevelled to lift the canvas above the inner edge.

The stretcher is assembled like this..

..and the corners are stapled together with a stable gun.

Next the stretcher is laid out on the canvas.

The canvas is stretched with a stretching tool and the edges are stabled to the stretcher with a staple gun. This is harder than it looks!

Newly stretched canvas. I have left the edges loose at the back as it may need restretching. Canvases tend to sag and tighten depending on a number of variables - temperature, humidity, after priming, and how aggressively you paint.

The bottom of the canvas is propped up for priming.

I prime using water based interior emulsion paint.

It needs 3 layers using a circular motion with the brush to work the emulsion into the pores of the canvas.

Now that the canvas is primed, I paint the background colour for this painting which is light blue - also using interior water based emulsion.

I'm happy the canvas has not sagged after priming and several days of temperature changes, so I staple the loose edges to the back of the stretcher. Luckily I did not need to restretch it!

Now comes the really fun and creative part - sketching out the painting in pencil. I tend to work from imagination and rarely use studies or preparatory drawings.

Every cow and rocket is lovingly hand crafted!

Next I colour in the dragon and explosions using acrylic paint applied with a flat brush.

After painting the blocks of colour, I outline the dragon using a thin brush, also in acrylic.

The cows and rockets are next. Cows are ALWAYS pink in my paintings.

This rocket is known as the 'broken ballistic'.

I love this vibrant red.

Again, everything is outlined using the thin brush.

This rocket cow is firing a rocket.

I use lemon-yellow for the flames propelling the rocket.

The final outlines..

..and it's done!