26. The Brighton Gull

26. The Brighton Gull

Oil, Acrylic & love on canvas - £1000

45cm x 60cm

EVERY PENNY OF THE ORIGINAL ART GOES DIRECTLY TO -

YOUR ART CONNECT CIC - Arts For Mental Health

Brighton was eventful in more ways than one.

The party was held beside the iconic Upside Down House on Brighton seafront, and getting it off the ground came with more than a few challenges.

Firstly, I have to give a huge shout-out to my friend Hannah, who I originally met at my Great Yarmouth event. She later travelled to help me in Southend, and when Brighton came around, she did it again, travelling six hours and staying in a hotel with her amazing son Theo just so they could help me.

I genuinely could not have done it without them. Getting all of the equipment from my van, along the seafront to the event and then all the way back again would have been almost impossible on my own.

Brighton also tested me in ways I wasn’t expecting.

Before the event, I was attacked by someone who smashed the windscreen of my van. I had to get it repaired, pick myself back up and somehow find compassion for the person who had done me wrong.

Then, shortly after the event, my van’s engine decided it had reached the end of its life.

I was exhausted, my van was broken, and suddenly I had to summon up the faith I’d been mantraing throughout this entire tour:

Everything will be okay.

What happened next became one of the greatest demonstrations of what this journey had created.

For months, I had travelled around the country bringing people together. Now, for the first time, I needed their help.

I sent an email to the people I’d met and connected with across the tour and set up a GoFundMe to help pay for a replacement engine.

Within three days, the target was reached.

The community I had travelled around the country trying to support had turned around and supported me.

My van was fixed, the journey could continue, and I was once again on my merry way — free as a bird.

Which brings us to the painting.

For Brighton, there could really only be one choice: a seagull, also inspired by Brighton & Hove Albion, affectionately known as the Seagulls.

And, of course, being Brighton, this is the only painting from the entire tour with glitter in the background.

Thank you for so many lessons, Brighton. I will never forget this chapter of the journey.

There are plenty more stories I could tell you about my time here, but we’ll save those for another day.

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