Right now, my studio is covered in..

Right now, my studio table is covered in thick art paper, rich charcoal, vibrant pastels, acrylic paint and something fairly new to my practice: cradled wood panels.

Why cradled wood panels?

I am traditionally known for large canvas paintings and detailed portrait drawings on art paper. Lately, I have wanted to merge these two worlds. I wanted the wonderful effects and textures of working on art paper, but with the structural, modern feel of solid wood.

Working on cradled panels allows me to do exactly that. The paper is mounted onto the cradled panel, giving me a sturdy surface to work on, and the artwork can sit proudly on the wall. They don't require frames, are beautifully minimalist and were hugely popular at my most recent open studios.

Step 1: The raw energy of the first layers

Every piece starts with play- mark-making with a mix of drawing materials like charcoal, pastels and watercolour crayons. The process is a dance between control and freedom.

For my portraits, I start with loose, energetic lines to map out the emotion and character of the face. For my landscapes, I block out bold, saturated fields of acrylic colour. I love letting the dry textures of drawing materials show through the paint. This creates depth and interest you can only appreciate up close.

Step 2: Refining and mounting

Once the mixed-media work on paper is fully dry and sealed, the magic happens. I mount the paper directly onto the cradled panel with an archival adhesive. I clean and finish the wood edges to frame the piece's bold colours.

Bringing a piece of the studio home

These small panels have quickly become some of my favourite pieces to create because they are compact; they fit perfectly on a study desk, a bedroom bookshelf or a gallery wall.

A fresh collection of these small-scale original panels is launching in the studio shop this week. Because they are lightweight, they are incredibly easy to ship worldwide.

Thank you for joining me on this creative journey. If you want to know when these panels drop, sign up for my studio newsletter below.