Q: Can you share how your artistic journey began? What inspired you to start creating, and how has that initial spark evolved over time?

A: Perhaps it was destiny, but one night I was walking around the house with one of those electric tennis rackets which has an ultraviolet light to kill mosquitos, and as I moved to one of my paintings, it lit up. I hadn't realised that I'd bought fluorescent paint, so the waves and the sky appeared almost "real". I then began experimenting with fluorescence, incorporating it into the light of my paintings.

I come from a family of creatives, so it was a natural path for me to follow. My parents divorced and I moved to the city with my mother and sister. I never fit in with the concrete jungle and struggled in my teen years, so I started smoking and drinking, thinking that would make me more adult and sophisticated. Instead, it got me into heaps of trouble, of course!

I'd always been creative, but never pursued  fine art specifically because I didn't want to have a career in the shadow of my father, who is a prolific painter. I also wasn't ready to face potential failures because I didn't think I would ever be good enough. I'd had a taste of the art world through my family members, and soon realised how brutal it could be - which put me off the idea.

Just before the pandemic in 2019 I had my first solo exhibition - I'd been painting in my garage purely for myself, never intending to go public. It was my wife, Paola, who encouraged me to go ahead with it. I was never more terrified in my life - but that night I sold more than half the work on display! When the lockdown happened a few months later, I couldn't do anything but paint - and I've never stopped since!

Q: What have been some of the most significant moments or challenges in your journey as an artist?

A: Self doubt was, and still is my greatest personal challenge. I've learned to forge ahead despite my fears, and simply "bite the bullet". At the time of lock downs, I thought it was the worst experience mainly because I felt helpless and couldn't do much to earn money - later on though, I realised that it was a blessing, as it gave me the time to learn and practice.

My greatest disappointment has been dealing with galleries - ignored, ghosted and shunned. I tried various methods of approach but nothing seemed to work. I found owners to be mostly hostile, and I couldn't understand why (I still don't). Instead I concentrated on paid art shows, which were horrible, but gave me good contacts. Joint exhibitions with other artists was a nightmare - most used their ego's as fuel, trying too hard to appear intellectual and were often downright rude about other artists work. Although - through persistence - I am in a few galleries now, I've taken on the challenge to create my own gallery instead of relying on others.

This is my new adventure, where I take full responsibility for the financial risks but get to enjoy exclusivity. I'll be opening "Crazy Oak" in a nearby town next weekend, and then a more sophisticated version in my home town of Barrydale called "ArtySan". If the King won't let me into his castle, I'll build my own! Will it work? I'll let you know in 6 months!

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to other creatives pursuing a career in visual arts, what would it be?

A: Paint every day! Every waking hour! Go to sleep with the texture and colour of the paint burned into your retinas! You may never feel "worthy" or as "Good as that artist" but you'll always be good enough for the first person who falls in love with a painting you created. Then there will be a second person, a third, and many more. In all that time, you will only ever improve, make more contacts, and find more opportunities.