The Space Between Us #06

This one’s got a touch of something classical - and that’s no accident. I’ve been down a bit of a rabbit hole with Caravaggio lately. His use of light? Unreal. I read this line and it hit me right in the gut: “realistic observation of the human state, both physical and emotional.” Yes. 100%. That’s what I’m chasing.

Right now, I’m properly obsessed with chiaroscuro and drama. I love painting figures that emerge out of the darkness and into the light - it’s just so powerful and gives the work this emotional pull I can’t get enough of.

I’ve been really loading up the palette knife in places with this one - especially in the hair. It’s heavy and textured, and I love how the strands twist into each other. There’s something so satisfying about bouncing colour from one side to the other - it feels alive.

Still playing with oil sticks too. Thick contour lines, bold movements, a kind of rhythm that echoes my brushstrokes but feels freer. I don’t overthink it - I just move and let it flow. That looseness brings something raw and honest to the surface.