The crystal vase in this painting is currently extremely flat. Not metaphorically flat — actually flat. It’s still learning how to catch the light, and I’m layering slowly, letting it find its own shine. The kangaroo paw flowers have taken a brief detour. At this stage, they resemble small clusters of mini bananas. Not dramatically. Just enough that once you notice it, you can’t unsee it. I find this mildly amusing. This is the stage where everything is technically correct but perceptually...

Some paintings cooperate. They move steadily from idea to resolution, as if they already know what they’re meant to be. Others do not. I’ve been working on one recently that seems determined to test my patience. Each time I think it’s resolved, something feels slightly off — too controlled, too deliberate, too finished in the wrong way. The temptation is always to push harder, add more and refine further but increasingly, I’m learning that restraint is often the braver choice. So I’ve been...

There’s a moment each morning when the studio is very quiet, before emails, before decisions, before I convince myself something needs fixing. That’s usually when the work begins. I’ve decided to start writing here — not to explain paintings (they’re quite capable of speaking for themselves), but to share the thinking that surrounds them. The slower observations and small shifts. The moments where a painting resists me and wins. Most work doesn’t unfold dramatically. It edges forward. A...