Description

Put all your energy into your next creation and not worry about the creation you are going to do after that. Be present. Let that creation inform the next one

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Today I am sharing my journey with six colour portraits

That is how I’ve done it. Started by connecting with my own truth

4 years later that truth has built a community and an income. Two things that were not planned from the beginning

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁

I had just moved to Brighton in 2021. I wanted to create a portrait like I did as a kid. I picked up the same 6 colours I used to use. I painted a self-portrait. Feeling it said more than I could say with words

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𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀

Few weeks later it was the Euros. England got to the final. Saka & Sancho & Rashford missed their penalties and got racially abused. Labelled as ‘black’ that made no sense

I created a portrait of them using the same 6 colours and there was no ‘black’

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𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀

I spoke to Fora Sports a shop in Brighton. A friend nudged me. They commissioned me to paint six football legends. Pelé. Maradona. Gazza. Ronaldo. Mbappé. Haaland. Each from a different decade

The message was born. We are all made from the same 6 colours blended differently

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𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀

I picked the paintbrush back up in 2023 at the time I was part of a men’s group. The founder shared their story. I created a portrait to reflect back to them the impact they had had on me and the other men within that group

The journey continued into painting portraits of my family. my ba. my mum. my brother. Connecting back to my origins getting to know their stories through creating their portraits

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄

I started painting portraits of people I had met in Brighton. I picked six men and six women as a way to give back

Now it wasn’t just me and a paintbrush there was an entire community forming around these six colours

Within the process of creating a portrait I go deep into feeling that person and what they mean to me. I write that down and channel it back building a meaningful connection with each person I paint

A friend within that group encouraged me to do a show

He told me "Even if no one comes. I’ll be there."

I invited people. Sixty Six came

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𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴

After the show I had the belief of the value. I launched a paid version of the portraits

The initial run of commissions covered living costs for three months

From a single portrait to making a living as an artist

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𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗔𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝘄

Today my business has evolved beyond portraits but grown with the same message. Helping people bridge the gap between inside truth and outside expression because we are all made from the same colours and owe it to share our unique gifts

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What are you going to create next?