The Finding Of Things I Had All Along represents the first body of work created in my new studio space, and more significantly, marks a fundamental shift in how I approach making art.
This change began around two years ago with my painting titled Momentum, emerging from a growing need to work in a way that felt more aligned with how my AuDHD mind naturally operates. These new pieces embrace the tangential thinking and intuitive leaps that come naturally to me rather than fighting against them.
The move into the new studio (see previous post) signified more than just a change in physical space; it provided a psychological shift, leading me to explore this direction fully. Each of the 28 hand-painted works on Yupo paper began the same way: a conversation with abstract backgrounds created by pouring ink-like synthetic polymer paints onto the surface. From there, layers were built through more synthetic polymer, spray paint and collage, allowing each piece to dictate its own development.
What emerged was a practice that celebrates mistakes and imperfections rather than eliminating them. Where my stencil work demanded absolute control, these pieces thrive on the unexpected. The Yupo paper itself became a collaborator, its non-absorbent surface creating unpredictable paint behaviours that I learned to work with rather than against.
The final stencilled motifs—familiar elements from my visual vocabulary—appear almost as anchors in these fluid compositions. They provide connection points between the experimental backgrounds and my established body of work, making each piece simultaneously unique and part of a larger conversation.
This process-driven approach has revealed something I'd always known but never fully embraced: that the most honest work comes from following instinct rather than predetermined outcomes. The series title reflects this recognition (amongst other obvious personal revelations), these weren't new discoveries but rather qualities that had always been present, waiting for the right conditions to emerge.
The Finding Of Things I Had All Along will be available right here on my website this Saturday, June 28th. Newsletter subscribers receive exclusive early access on Friday 27th with a special password, a doff of the cap to the community that has supported my creative wanderings so far.
