One for sorrow

About the work

Mixed media on canvas, acrylic, ink, gold leaf

Framed in black wood, L shaped—32 x 32 x 5 cm. (12.5″x 12.5″ x 2″)

One for Sorrow draws its title from the traditional magpie rhyme, where a single bird is often seen as a bad omen. Rather than leaning into superstition, this work quietly reclaims the idea of sorrow as something more complex and human.

The solitary magpie stands as a witness — to change, to loss, to moments of quiet reckoning. There is melancholy here, but also strength. The painting reflects those periods when we find ourselves alone, navigating uncertainty, gathering ourselves before moving forward again.

Layered colour, texture, and mark-making create a sense of emotional depth beneath the surface, suggesting that sorrow is not an ending but a passage. In this piece, solitude becomes reflective rather than fearful — a necessary space where resilience begins to form.