A Painting Made as a Gift
A painting made as a gift
Sometimes the absence of the right tools doesn’t stop the work.
It was Christmas time, and I was away from home.
Away from my studio — with only a sketchbook, pencils, and a few acrylic pens.
A friend gifted me two small starter sets of oil paints.
He said, simply, that he would love to see my work sometime.
I didn’t have brushes.
Only sculpting knives.
So I worked with what I had.
The paint behaved differently without the tools I’m used to.
It resisted in places, moved unexpectedly in others. I let the knives lead, allowing the surface to decide how the colour would settle.
This painting was made for him — not as a finished statement, but as a response.
A gesture of gratitude, shaped by limitation and trust.
Sometimes the absence of the right tools doesn’t stop the work.
It asks us to listen more closely.
Available originals can be viewed via the link in my bio.
Made for a friend.
