Grounded

I wanted to paint the moment just before you lift your head again.

He’s standing side-on, head down, eyes on the ground. It isn’t defeat. It’s the pause you take when everything around you is moving too fast and you need to find your feet before you take the next step. Most of us know that moment, even if we don’t talk about it.

The background is all turquoise and blue, blurred and restless, like noise you can’t quite switch off. I kept him warm against it - his skin is the one solid thing in the picture. Then the red came in. Small marks in his hair, scratches down the side, lines cutting in at his waist, and one tall red bar standing next to him. For me those are the pressures and thoughts that follow you around. They’re there, they’re loud, but they don’t knock him over.

That’s what grounded means to me. Not untouched by everything, just steady enough to stay standing in the middle of it.

One-of-a-kind original, hand-painted in oils on canvas, signed with a Certificate of Authenticity.