Summer Experiments: Spray Paint, Sketchbooks, and Starting Again

Every summer, after a collection is complete, there comes a natural pause. A breath. A moment between endings and beginnings. And for me, that pause has become a time to play.

This year, I’ve found myself reaching again for spray paint — a medium I first tried last summer and have become slightly addicted to.

It’s messy. It’s fast. It’s wildly unpredictable. And I love it.

Spray painting has been an unexpected joy this summer — a creative outlet that feels more rebellious and instinctive than anything I’ve done before. It allows me to work outside, in the air and the light, in a completely different rhythm to my studio work. When I explained it to a friend who plays the violin, I said: “Imagine suddenly picking up the cello and playing it in public.” That’s what this feels like.

I started spray painting last summer, when I created my first piece at the Voodoo Festival in Chichester. Since then, I’ve practiced — though not nearly enough — and mostly only when the sun is out! Earlier this year, I was invited to be involved with a brand new festival here in Chichester called The Beatz in the city organised by Creative Beatz. The organiser wanted live demonstrations of spoken word, theatre, art, and music. I teamed up with fellow artist Ben Cavanagh to bring together a group of artists to live paint across the three-day festival.

Once again, I committed to painting live without much recent practice — and yes, the nerves kicked in. But what made all the difference was the support I felt from the other artists involved. There was a real sense of encouragement and camaraderie throughout the weekend. Some of the more experienced street artists even shared tips and small tricks with me — things I wouldn’t have figured out on my own — and I was so grateful for their generosity. I had originally planned to paint a wall at Siddlesham Memorial Hall during the live event I helped organise through Chichester CAN, but I gave that opportunity to another artist and instead painted a smaller board. I wanted to stay with the group of live painters — many of whom had never painted live before — and it felt important to offer moral support over taking a solo opportunity.

I worked across two boards, totalling 2.4m x 2.4m, and I wanted to create something playful — but also with a subtle nod to my age (I’m 51!). I chose to paint a retro troll doll alongside a packet of Salt & Shake crisps — a little nostalgic fun that felt totally right for the occasion.

To prepare, I bought a single panel of OSB board to mock up the idea at home — and that’s when I realised I was in trouble! I spent ages watching YouTube videos (I’ll link a few of my favourites soon), and while they were incredibly helpful, I’ll be honest: I find watching YouTube tutorials hard. I struggle to concentrate, but the tips I picked up were brilliant and reminded me how much there always is to learn.

One of the most useful tools I discovered was the Night Quill medium-touch adapter — it really helped take the pressure off my fingers during long sessions.

And, this is a little embarrassing… but I’ve realised that my love of long, bright acrylic nails definitely doesn’t help when spray painting! Even with gloves on, my nail just slightly gets in the way and interferes with how the spray comes out. I know I make my life harder — but I do love the nails!

And while spray paint has taken over some of my creative energy, I’ve also done something else that feels equally brave: I signed up for Sketch Week. It’s an online event run by Adebanji Alade and the Addictive Sketchers, designed to help artists reconnect with drawing through daily prompts, encouragement, and live sessions. You can find out more here: https://adebanji-alade.lpages.co/addictive-sketchers-week/

It’s been years since I picked up a sketchbook properly. In fact, I haven’t attended a life drawing class since university. I’ve always told people, half-jokingly, “I can’t draw. But I can paint.” It became part of how I described myself. But lately, that’s started to feel like a limitation I’ve outgrown.

The truth is, drawing is a muscle. And mine has atrophied. When I recently joined a lovely local sketch group, I felt totally lost — awkward, unsure, and overwhelmed by the basics I’d long forgotten. But rather than give up, I’m leaning in.

Sketch Week is my way of starting again. Relearning the fundamentals. Reconnecting with shape and proportion and line. It’s not about getting it right. It’s about showing up. And I know that sharpening this skill will only deepen my paintings in the long run — especially in how I approach composition, form, and the figures that appear in my work.

Summer has become a time for loosening, testing, resetting. These experiments — with cans of spray paint or a stick of charcoal — might look like side paths. But they are leading me somewhere.

I don’t know yet exactly how these practices will feed the next body of work. But I trust they will. Because every collection begins long before the first brushstroke.

And right now, it begins here.

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Links to a few youtube videos that helped! Both these guys have a great collection of information and tips.