The Pirate

This is a one-off portrait, created from a spontaneous moment of connection with my former art teacher, Chris Tinkler. The Pirate explores gesture, memory, and the quiet symbolism of hands. It’s painted in oil and Sennelier oil stick on Fabriano Tela paper, with hints of Mediterranean blue woven through after a recent trip to the Ionian Islands.

The piece was never planned. It came out of a conversation, a photo, and a feeling I didn’t want to overthink. The title came naturally - there’s something playful and slightly masked about the pose that felt right.

Read the Studio Journal story here