Not Knowing What Comes Next
One of the strangest parts of being an artist is rarely knowing exactly what the next painting will become.
After finishing a body of work or releasing a new collection, there’s usually a quiet in-between stage where everything feels slightly uncertain again. Colours begin shifting. New ideas appear slowly. Paintings that would have made sense a month ago suddenly don’t feel right anymore.
Lately, I’ve found myself drawn toward deeper colours than usuall, burgundy tones, soft blues, olive greens and darker layered backgrounds. I’m not entirely sure where they’re leading yet, but I’ve learned not to rush that part of the creative process.
Some of my favourite contemporary paintings have started without a clear plan. A colour palette appears first. Then a shape. Then a feeling I can’t quite explain yet.
Over time, I’ve stopped trying to control every stage of the painting process and instead started allowing the work to evolve more naturally. Often the most interesting parts happen somewhere in the middle, when the painting still feels unresolved.
My studio floor is currently full of unfinished ideas, paint tests and colour combinations that may or may not become part of the next series of abstract still life paintings. Even though I don’t fully know what comes next yet, I think that uncertainty is an important part of creating original art.
Even though the colours and mood are beginning to shift, I still feel deeply connected to the Stillness series and the themes that continue appearing throughout the work. The series still feels ongoing — just moving into a slightly different season.
The longer I paint, the more I realise that paintings usually know where they’re going before I do.
As a Sydney-based contemporary artist, so much of my inspiration still comes from interiors, collected objects, warm light and everyday moments. Those themes always seem to find their way back into the work eventually, even when the direction feels unclear at first.
For now, I’m trying to let the next body of work unfold slowly.