Since the start of the year I’ve been pulling apart my own process, pushing at its edges and rebuilding it piece by piece while a larger body of work simmers quietly in the background. A few weeks ago I finally took on my first full‑body portrait on a 2.5‑metre canvas – a development far beyond the mini portraits I have been working on – and, despite my usual doubts, it ended up landing with far more strength and clarity than I expected.

My latest painting in the Portrait of Heroes collection, Conquest, is finally finished. It’s easily the biggest, boldest, and most complex piece I’ve created in this series—three months of pushing paint, pushing ideas, and pushing myself. Seeing it now on display at Joseph Fine Arts, alongside some of my other works, feels like a genuine milestone.