The 2024 artworks that mattered most to me
Here are ten artworks that felt particularly successful or important to me in 2024, and why. In no particular order:
By The Lake. This is actually a set of mini artworks, each mounted on a greeting card. To build it, I used leftover materials (acrylic paints but also scraps of linen). I love the softness of the colours, combined with the texture of the linen. My favourite of the cards are those where the raw edge of the linen is visible.
Low Tide (detail, working title). I’m only showing a detail of this painting, because the oil paint is still curing and awaiting varnishing. This is one of my largest works to date, and is part of a big in-progress collection inspired by the coast and tidal flows. I particularly enjoyed working with a variety of media for this, and incorporating gesture and flow into the process. Can’t wait to show you! Watch out for news here and in my regular mailings.
Nasim. A very simple, intimate portrait painted from life in just a few minutes. Sometimes quick work is good work, and in this case I’m very pleased with the warm colour palette and sense of calm contemplation.
Eye. This year I really worked across a broad scale. This one is very small, and was executed at random after labouring in vain on a portrait. I decided that the model’s most important feature to me was her ice-blue eyes, and focused just on that. My intention is to get it beautifully framed.
Standing on the Beach (detail). A cute little study sketch in transparent water-soluble oils, as I was starting to engage with this medium and testing what it could do.
Study of seaweed. Another little gem of a painting, capturing a simple detail spotted on the beach at low tide. I just grabbed a little box and got going. I’m still thinking of ways to get it framed so that its 3D nature isn’t lost…
Study of the Side of a Sink. Oil pastels: one of my all-time favourite media to use. Drawings of things seen at my parents’ home are always special in their own right, and this one is in such a high-impact palette of emerald greens and vermillion that it had to make the list.
Axel 2. This year I got myself comfortable with working faster and not being too fussy. Sometimes it doesn’t lead anywhere, and sometimes the stars align and you end up with a display-worthy portrait. It is part of a pair framed in bright orange which sold just a couple of days after posting online.
Ronds et Carrés. I used leftover paint from a portrait of a very close friend. The title of the card set is ‘rounds and squares’ in French, as a nod to some of the conversations we’ve had about good/bad art. I incorporated stitching - which added some super interesting textures to the work. Look out on this blog for the release of these cards into the shop.
Spring over the Ruins. Cheekily, I am including here a work made as far back as 2021, because this year I decided to have it framed and was delighted with the result. Framing does sometimes make a work complete…
Happy 2025!