Solo Tomato

• Limited Edition of 25
• Printed on 300gsm Hahnemühle German Etching paper
• Hand-signed & Numbered
• 297 × 420 mm (A3)
• Unframed

I was looking through my archives one evening, feeling stuck with what to create next when I came across the reference photo for this work.

For context, I returned to making art almost 10 years ago and had spent the last few years experimenting with a more expressive style of painting. This taught me a lot but I hadn’t yet landed on how I wanted my work to look and feel.

So I decided to return to pencil on paper. The slow, methodical process was what my mind needed at the time. It helped me find patience and presence; the sense of formlessness expressed through the bottle's reflective glass and melting wax leading me to what I wanted to explore through my work for the year ahead.

The photo this is based on was taken years ago from an afternoon I spent with a friend. We brought different plants and objects and spent the afternoon photographing it all to create different arrangements. I've painted other pieces from this time, and had intended to use this one too. It just took me a few years to get there.

It took me 35 hours of drawing slow, soft layers to complete and reminded me of what I find most fulfilling in the process. The way it soothes and focusses my mind and how close observation of familiar objects can unravel perception to see things anew, to come into contact with the subtle patterns beneath everyday experience.

I found a peaceful presence in creating this and my hope is that it comes through in the work, that it may bring you a sense of stillness too.