Hello friends,
This past month has been about loosening up, re-engaging with familiar forms, and pushing the boundaries of my physical and digital techniques. Here’s what I’ve been working on:
New Physical Works
I’ve been back working on canvas, stepping away from the easel and letting the floor become the surface of action. I’m pouring diluted acrylics, working with water, smudging pastels, and most importantly: using my hands. There’s something liberating in moving paint without the filter of a brush.
These new pieces feel more intuitive and raw, yet carry an intentional rhythm. It’s a dance between chaos and control, impact and restraint.
I’m no Jackson Pollock, but I now understand the appeal of gravity and gesture.
Digital Flowers
On the digital side, I’ve been painting floral still lifes that blend the softness of natural form with abstract expression. It’s been freeing to remove purely abstract compositions and engage with recognisable shapes. There’s a grounding quality to flowers, a rhythm in their form that brings a different kind of peace. While this series is only just beginning, it’s one I’ll continue to return to throughout the season. If these floral pieces speak to you, or spark any memories or feelings.
I’d love to hear how they land with you.
The Figure Returns
I’ve also started exploring figurative work again. These pieces are playful and loose, a return to a recurring character who’s always been flexible in form and voice. From hooded artist to fashion portrait to scribbled sketch, this figure shifts easily.
A key influence behind this work is 2000 AD’s Judge Dredd, a character I was fascinated by as a kid. I used to pore over those comics, captivated by the bold, graphic art style and the solitary figure navigating a complex world. That sense of visual storytelling, isolation, and identity has stayed with me, and now it’s beginning to filter back into my work.
Thanks, as always, for reading. If any of these new directions resonate with you, especially the floral still lifes or the comic-inspired figures. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Until next time,
Rich