Blog Post 2026
The Year Ahead – New Practice
I have just re-read my note from February last year and found myself reflecting on whether I achieved any of those goals and intentions over the past year.
To some extent, I think there has been a shift towards a more abstract approach in much of the work I’ve produced, and in that respect, I take some encouragement. As with many ambitions we set ourselves, the ideal is never fully realised. At the start of another year, I feel there is still a need for greater innovation and a freer approach to painting. I know these developments only come through repetition and the gradual mastery of newly acquired skills, and I hope this will lead to small but meaningful steps in the right direction.
What surprised me most was a change that began around October last year, when I deliberately started painting over older works—pieces that were unlikely to sell or be worth keeping. This process became a release from my usual way of working and acted as a catalyst for experimentation, as I felt I had nothing to lose. Overpainting became a form of transformation—a way to replace the original with something stronger.
In a sense, it felt like returning to the early stages of learning acrylic painting again: exploring unfamiliar brushes, experimenting with new forms of mark-making, and working with quick, intuitive strokes that I resisted the urge to refine or “tidy up.”
I have now shared some of these works on my revised website, where they are open to public viewing and comment. Instagram has also been a valuable platform for sharing these small developments, and many of the posts have received encouraging responses.
There is still a long way to go, but I feel that each new painting contains some small element that brings me closer to my goal.
Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this, and to those who continue to follow my work.
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