'Socially Gifted'
Oil & Palette Knife Technique on Canvas
*Please note this painting is not available for sale as it is hanging in Alana's private collection. For serious inquiries about this work, please contact us.
'Socially Gifted' began, as many of my large works do, with the intoxicating thrill of a gigantic blank canvas… followed immediately by the paralysing terror of a gigantic blank canvas. I adore painting big: the freedom, the movement, the drama. But let’s be honest; sometimes the only way to tackle a wall-sized whisper of “go on then, impress me” is to fling some paint at it and hope for the best.
So I did. A gentle blue wash here, a passionate burst of reds and oranges there — and with that, I declared myself triumphant. Then I promptly abandoned the painting in the garage for a year, where it sulked quietly and pretended to be finished. But every time I peeked at it, I heard a tiny voice (possibly the canvas, possibly my conscience) saying, “Nope. Not ready. Try again.”
Eventually, I built up the courage to do the unthinkable: ruin it. And by ruin, I mean commit that beautifully terrifying act of painting over something you once thought was complete. It’s the artistic equivalent of a personality makeover; shedding the shy, polite version to reveal whatever bold truth is waiting underneath.
What followed was a trance-like dance with my palette knife: decisive marks, unapologetic colours, and the exhilarating feeling of going all in. When I finally stepped back, there it was — 'Socially Gifted'. A painting that started life timid and hesitant but emerged as a colourful, charismatic extrovert absolutely ready for its spotlight moment.
From wallflower to life of the party, all it needed was the courage to be “ruined” into something far more fabulous.
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Oil & Palette Knife Technique on Canvas
*Please note this painting is not available for sale as it is hanging in Alana's private collection. For serious inquiries about this work, please contact us.
'Socially Gifted' began, as many of my large works do, with the intoxicating thrill of a gigantic blank canvas… followed immediately by the paralysing terror of a gigantic blank canvas. I adore painting big: the freedom, the movement, the drama. But let’s be honest; sometimes the only way to tackle a wall-sized whisper of “go on then, impress me” is to fling some paint at it and hope for the best.
So I did. A gentle blue wash here, a passionate burst of reds and oranges there — and with that, I declared myself triumphant. Then I promptly abandoned the painting in the garage for a year, where it sulked quietly and pretended to be finished. But every time I peeked at it, I heard a tiny voice (possibly the canvas, possibly my conscience) saying, “Nope. Not ready. Try again.”
Eventually, I built up the courage to do the unthinkable: ruin it. And by ruin, I mean commit that beautifully terrifying act of painting over something you once thought was complete. It’s the artistic equivalent of a personality makeover; shedding the shy, polite version to reveal whatever bold truth is waiting underneath.
What followed was a trance-like dance with my palette knife: decisive marks, unapologetic colours, and the exhilarating feeling of going all in. When I finally stepped back, there it was — 'Socially Gifted'. A painting that started life timid and hesitant but emerged as a colourful, charismatic extrovert absolutely ready for its spotlight moment.
From wallflower to life of the party, all it needed was the courage to be “ruined” into something far more fabulous.
