17/08/2026
Sometimes you just need one piece to break the spellā¦ and āA Wild Unfoldingā was that piece for me.
After a period away from the easel, I felt completely stuck. With all the overwhelm in my life, the precious little time I did have in the studio, I found myself unable to even startā¦ not knowing where to begin or what to do. It was a mental struggle I was experiencing across other areas of my life too, when facing even the most mundane of tasks.
Without knowing what else to do, I grabbed an old canvas from the back of the studio and decided it owed me nothing. No tight control, no heavy expectations, and no rules.
I questioned myself over and over again about whether or not to include a portrait. Everything in me wanted to default to a face because Iām so drawn to portraiture and the deep feelings a human face evokes in my work. But in the end, the decision to step away from a portrait was the right choiceā¦ to drop the pressure that the strict rules of proportion require, allowing myself instead to let the beauty of the blooms guide me. I chose Magnolias in particular because they break out of a tough protective shell to bloom into such a soft and tender flower.
āOut of the quiet stillness, a fierce and untamed momentum takes root.ā
I started with an energetic mix of soft pastels, spray paint, acrylic and alcohol inks, and gold leaf, before sketching the reaching magnolia blooms in charcoal and finishing with layers of oil paint. The final image is wilder and less refined than my other worksā¦ far more raw, but brought to completion with the exact same care and attention as all my other work.
It became a cathartic celebration of uninhibited creative energy. It was the exact breakthrough I needed to move past the paralysis and reclaim my momentum at the easel.
Iāve left this piece raw and unframed, painting the edges to complement the artwork so the movement wraps around the canvas.
I dropped āA Wild Unfoldingā off to Aspire Gallery - Brisbane Art Gallery on Saturday morning after being officially accepted into Aspire Gallery - Brisbane Art Gallery Flourish exhibition alongside the rest of this floral series!šøāØ
āØ A Wild Unfolding | Mixed Media & Oil on canvas (75cm x 75cm)
