Over the past couple of months, I have been busy writing applications, putting together proposals and considering where I might take my practice next. It is a curious process, investing time and thought into possibilities that may or may not come about. Some things move forward, others fall away, and occasionally something unexpected appears.
Uist Dragon Photopolymer Print W29.7cm x H21cm 2026
I have come to believe that there is an element of fate in all of this. Not everything works out as hoped, but sometimes opportunities arrive at just the right moment, opening up possibilities that I hadn’t necessarily anticipated. There is something to be said for allowing things to unfold, while continuing to put the work in.
There have been some lovely moments of recognition recently. I was delighted to be selected as Visual Arts Scotland‘s Artist of the Month for October, and my print Hebridean Tiger was shortlisted for the 2026 Highland Art Prize. The same print has also made it through the preselection stage for the Society of Scottish Artists’ 128th exhibition, which is particularly encouraging. There are also a few other things in the pipeline, which I hope to share more about as they develop. For now, I am happy to see where they lead.
Alongside all this activity, the quieter, more familiar rhythm of studio work continues. I have been returning to prints that I have already proofed, reconsidering colour, experimenting with different approaches to inking and making small adjustments that can sometimes change an image quite considerably. I am increasingly interested in the possibilities that emerge during the printing itself, where the process becomes less about reproducing an image and more about responding to it. There is something almost painterly about this stage, and I enjoy the way each proof suggests another possibility.
I am also beginning to think more seriously about how these individual works might come together. Rather than seeing each print as a separate piece, I am interested in the relationships between them, the narratives that might emerge through their arrangement, and how they could develop into something more expansive.
Perhaps this is what the space between projects is really about. It is not simply a period of waiting for the next opportunity, but a time for reflection, experimentation and allowing new ideas to take shape. Some applications will lead somewhere, others won’t, but the work continues regardless. And perhaps that is the important thing — to remain curious, to keep making, and to trust that the next stage will reveal itself in time.
