#58: The In-Between
After finishing and submitting work, there’s a quieter stage that follows — the in-between. In this post, I reflect on that period of waiting, returning to the studio, and continuing to build momentum without knowing what comes next.
#57: Sketching in Oil Pastel
Recently I’ve started experimenting with oil pastels as a sketching medium. They’ve allowed me to explore colour, gesture, and ideas much more quickly than my usual painting process. In this post I reflect on how this simple shift in materials is opening up new ways of thinking in the studio.
#55: A Self-Imposed Deadline
With one week left before my self-imposed deadline for Portrait Artist of the Year, the studio feels focused and deliberate. After a turbulent process, my main portrait is finally settling — and alongside it, a quick black and white study of Olivia Colman has reminded me where my work began.
#53: What I Was and What I’ve Become
I’ve finished the black and white foundation of my latest portrait, and now I’m moving into colour through layered glazes. I’m aiming for something more dimensional and expressive — while leaving part of the piece monochrome. I’m calling it What I was and what I’ve become, a reflection of my journey from graphite drawings to full colour painting, and a mindset that’s grown looser, freer, and more creative over time.
#50: A New Challenge: My Self-Portrait for the HSFK Portrait Award
I’ve begun a new self-portrait for the HSFK Portrait Award 2026 — one built from overlapping slices of my face to reflect the instability, shifting perspectives, and strange clarity that come with living with vertigo and chronic health issues. This post explores how the painting is taking shape and why this piece feels important to make.
#49: Finished for Saltaire — and Already Brainstorming the Next Chapter
After finishing and submitting my three paintings for the Saltaire Gallery Winter Show, the studio feels different — quieter, but full of possibility. In this post, I reflect on completing that chapter and turning my focus toward new ideas for the upcoming HSFK Portrait Award 2026 at the National Portrait Gallery.
#40: When Play Becomes Purpose
My moiré portrait project started as pure experimentation — no pressure, no plan, just play. But somewhere along the way, it became something more. In this post, I reflect on how creativity often finds its purpose after you’ve already started, and why that’s exactly the kind of surprise I love.