Loose, emotive watercolour portraits that search for light in dark places. I’m drawn to faces that carry grief, tenderness, and quiet forbearance – not to manufacture a mood, but to reveal what is already true: that hope can exist alongside pain. Watercolour helps me do that honestly. Its transparency, lost edges, and unexpected movement let the work feel like a discovery, not a performance – a glimpse of light that doesn’t deny the shadows.

I find inspiration in real people, honest conversations, and the moments when someone’s strength shows up without fanfare. I’m moved by the tension of beauty and ache living together – and by the way light can fall across an ordinary scene and change everything. My Christian faith grounds that pursuit: truth that doesn’t minimise grief, and hope that isn’t vague or sentimental. I also draw from music, photography, and lived experience.

I’d use it to create and share work that helps people see light without pretending the darkness isn’t real. Practically, that means buying time: a focused season of uninterrupted studio work to develop a new series about hope in the darkness. I’d also upgrade filming and lighting so my teaching and demos communicate clearly, and invest in reference photography to tell authentic stories. Finally, I’d put some toward exhibitions and teaching opportunities to reach more people.