Not everything needs to be a collection

I’ve been working in collections for a while now. And while I like the structure — it helps narrow things down so I’m not overwhelmed — I’ve also started to miss the freedom of painting whatever I want, just because it feels right.

The first collection I made was Elsewhere, back in 2021. It was my first proper go at landscapes. The only rule I gave myself was that they had to be of places in New Zealand I’d rather be — a quiet kind of protest during lockdowns. That general openness is something I keep coming back to. Elsewhere was tied together by a feeling, not a theme. And I think that’s part of why it still works.

Since then, I’ve made collections with clearer ideas behind them. That structure helped for a while. But lately, it’s felt a bit restrictive. I’ve got half-finished paintings that don’t belong to any neat series — and honestly, I don’t mind that.

I’m trying to be okay with painting things that don’t fit into anything.

Not every piece has to be part of a tidy plan. Some just need to exist.

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If you like art that doesn’t follow a theme, The Painted Post might be your thing.
One print, one letter, once a month — whatever I’ve been working on lately.