A change in circumstance often brings about a change in process. As an artist I had always focused on relatively large oil paintings, preferring to work slowly and with detail. When I found myself moving about and travelling frequently, I realised I had to find new ways of creating work. The biggest inspiration for my new work came from teaching kindergarten in Shenzhen, China. I taught 2-4 year olds and found their creative process inspiring. Children have an innate desire to create. Their imagination is full and unlimited, not yet barred by insecurity or anxiety. Their freedom inspired me to work more intuitively and allow chance to dictate the direction of the piece.

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My current fascination with masked portraits has manifested itself in this sketchbook project. Wearing face coverings is new to us in the West and has, in some senses, bred paranoia and distrust. These characters represent that sense of the “other”. They are faceless, other worldly. They blend the surreal with our current lived situations.