I'm absolutely thrilled to have been selected as one of the finalists and to have my painting Fortune Flames exhibited as part of this year's SAA Artists of the Year finalists exhibition.
My work was selected from over 1,800 entries, with just 57 paintings making it through to the exhibition. To be included among such a talented group of artists is a real honour, and I'm still pinching myself a little!
The exhibition was held at the Cass Art Space in Kingston, which made for a particularly lovely evening. It was an incredibly well-attended event, with so many of the Artists making the journey to celebrate as one. I was especially grateful for the amazing placement of my work- it was right in the middle, eye level, on the central wall, and I couldn’t be more pleased!
The story behind Fortune Flames
At its heart, Fortune Flames is a self-portrait, but it's also a celebration of the freedom and joy I find in the process of making art.
I brought together so many of my favourite things on one canvas: vibrant colours, magpies, expressive graffiti-inspired mark making, collage, mixed media and even little pieces of board games. It's a wonderfully chaotic combination, but that's exactly what I love about it.
When I was making this painting, I was going through a difficult period where I felt I needed to make myself smaller, both literally and emotionally. This piece became an antidote to that feeling. It was about celebrating the confident, creative and vibrant person I am, and giving myself permission to take up space.
I genuinely loved every moment of making it. It was one of those paintings that had me rushing home to get back into the studio, often working late into the night because I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Getting through the messy middle stages was certainly a test of faith, but the finished piece is full of the energy and freedom I felt whilst creating it.
I'm so grateful to the wonderful team at the SAA for organising the competition and exhibition, and to the judges for selecting my work. The SAA have been such a supportive part of my artistic journey over the years, encouraging me to experiment, develop my practice and take the leap into portraiture.
Having previously been a finalist in 2023, 2024 and 2025, it's particularly special to be exhibiting with them again in 2026.
And, of course, a massive thank you to everyone who voted for Fortune Flames in the People's Choice Award, shared my work, sent lovely messages or cheered me on. Your support really does mean the world.
Congratulations to all the other finalists and, especially, to Maria Russell, who won the Best in Portraits category with her wonderful painting, The Knitted Crown; Beehive.
It's evenings like this that remind me how lucky I am to be pursuing this rather colourful, occasionally chaotic artistic adventure.
Hopefully I'll be back next year with the SAA to make it 5 years in a row!
