After almost twenty years of making work, you'd think moving studios would be routine by now. It's not. Last month I moved into a shared space with Gary from The Private Press screen printers, and the shift has been more significant than I expected—not just practically, but in how I'm approaching the work itself.
The new studio has Gary's screen printing setup running alongside my painting practice, and that proximity is already changing how I think about making images. I'm looking at my paintings differently, considering how printed elements might work within the painted surface, how to create prints that relate more directly to the paintings. The boundaries between the two processes are becoming less defined in my mind.
The space itself has had to accommodate both our ways of working. Gary's organized printing operation now shares the room with my painter's approach to materials—brushes, rags, paintings at various stages. We've found a rhythm that works, creating something that serves both printmaking and painting without compromising either.
This move feels like more than just relocating. It's marking the start of a new phase in my practice, one where technical experimentation is taking a more central role. The work that's emerging feels honest about where I am now—not just in terms of location, but mentally and creatively. Part of that honesty involves continuing to understand how my AuDHD and dyslexia shape my approach to making art.
The timing feels right for this kind of shift. After two decades of building a practice, I'm interested in pushing into territory that feels less familiar, using this shared space as a catalyst for work that bridges painting and printing in ways I haven't explored before; work that continues to explore the new directions I've toyed with over the last few years whilst honouring everything that came before it, finding a place where old and new can co-exist.
I've started this blog to document what happens next, to discuss the work and ideas behind it, and to explore what it means to navigate the art world (and life in general) from a neurodivergent perspective. It'll also be where I share news about upcoming shows and new releases.
Welcome to the next chapter.
