Large One-Of-A-Kind Smiley Artworks

Large Smiley. Painted using a combination of tape and free-hand, and then distressed making each a true one-off.

These pieces began with what I initially considered imperfections. A collection of my usually incredibly neat works had small flaws, and my first instinct was to throw them away. Instead, I began sanding them back, allowing me to reuse the wood and avoid unnecessary waste.

Part-way through the sanding process, I stopped and looked again. What had started as an attempt to correct or erase the imperfections had revealed something completely new. The layers, marks and worn surfaces created a more vintage, aged character that I hadn’t intended, but immediately connected with.

Rather than sanding them back further, I chose to preserve these unexpected surfaces and have varnished them in a smooth gloss to create a series of true one-offs.