Sketchbook
Ideas, experiments and observations behind the paintings.
The Fona Lisa
2026
What happens when a familiar image is placed in an unfamiliar context?
I wanted to take one of the most recognisable paintings in the world and bring it into the present - replacing contemplation with the distraction of a phone.
The High Street
2026
I wanted to take Vermeer’s The Little Street and bring it into my own world.
The architecture remains familiar, but the colour, signs and atmosphere belong to the high street I see around me.
The Major Failure
2026
The death of the Major Oak. The decline of the high street. Nottingham City Council going into financial administration.
Three symbols of a city under pressure.
I brought them together in this painting to reflect on what we are losing — our natural heritage, our town centres and the institutions meant to serve us.
The title is a play on words, but the failure it points to are real.
