Sundance

Sundance is a painting from 2019. It was a bit of a breakthrough piece; I had begun painting water but this was the first piece where I honed in on light and distortion and began to feel confident with the subject.

The piece is important to me on a personal level. In 2018 I quietly realised that my love for art was deep rooted and not going anywhere. So, I made the big decision to leave a decent career, work part time and push myself through part time study. It was rewarding but anyone who has first hand experience of renting in London, whilst paying for an education on a fractional salary will know it is intensely demanding.

We live in a society that places an exibortant value on financial gain and ties it in with our sense of self - even if admitting this is uncomfortable. Over time, I did began to feel the strain of my situation, especially when it seemed that my work was recieving so little recognition - which is to be expected when your are still developing your skills.

Then I made Sundance, and it ended up jointly winning the Peer Prize at @artacademylondon , where I was then a part-time student.

It was just a small award but it really gave me the confidence and conviction that I was on a path that was leading somewhere.

The original painting now lives in a private collection, but prints are available here.