#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.
#56: Three Portraits, One Submission
After weeks in the studio refining and reworking three very different portraits, I’ve finally submitted my entry for Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year. Each piece represents a different aspect of my practice right now — from the expressive colour of What I was and what I’ve become, to the vertigo-inspired …and the world keeps on spinning, and a monochrome portrait of Olivia Colman that returns to the foundations of my work.
#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.
#52: A New Year, a Wider Window
As I begin preparing my entry for Portrait Artist of the Year 2026, a small rule change has prompted a much bigger reflection. Being able to submit work from the last five years, rather than just one, has made me realise how much has quietly accumulated — and how far this journey has already taken me.
#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.
#36: Layers and Lines: Beginning a New Moiré Portrait Project
This week I began exploring a new project combining moiré patterns and portraiture — layering inkjet prints and acetate over Perspex to test visual interference and movement. It feels like something has clicked, like I’ve found a new direction that’s both technical and deeply personal.
From Subject to Self: A Walk Through the National Portrait Gallery
A recent visit to the National Portrait Gallery left me thinking about how portraiture has shifted over time—from being all about the sitter, to becoming a reflection of the artist. In this post, I explore that transformation, and where my own work fits into the story.