Authenticity

I’ve never been one for straight lines or perfect symmetry — in life, in dining chairs or on canvas. I like the wobbles, the texture, those bits that don't match and feel a little unpredictable.

 

Courage

When I started painting back in 2019, I had absolutely no idea where my painting was heading. It took a fair bit of courage (and a last-minute dash!) to send work to the RA Summer Exhibition for the first time and still that imposter monster can make me question my colours, choices and efforts. But, I’ve learned that creative risks don’t have to be big to matter — it’s about going with your intuition and enjoying where it takes you.

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Connection

Connection runs through everything I paint. In my landscapes, it’s the big East Anglian skies that get me every time — that sense of space, light, and how a place can feel rather than look. One piece, Peach Velvet Sky, came from an evening at Snape Maltings — wide skies over the marshes, a G&T and a Corinne Bailey Rae song title that just stuck with me.

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For my faces — many of which are featureless — it’s about a different kind of connection. I want to look beyond the features that should be there and find the person underneath. Beauty, youth, style — none of that defines us. I’m more interested in what’s left when all that is stripped away.

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Growth

When I started out, my motto was basically, “It can’t be wrong if you don’t know what’s right.”. Somehow that led to the Royal Academy, solo shows, group shows, supportive new friends, and some truly  amazing connections and conversations. And and a passion that was never anticipated.

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Painting makes me slow down and appreciate things - the light, the colours, the moment. And if something I paint connects with someone else - if it stirs a memory or a feeling or just makes them pause — that’s the bit that matters most.