This painting of the Queen as a child dressed in Ballet attire expresses innocence and a sense of hopefulness. It is a feeling that I have explored with my other slate pieces, exploring that confidence and optimism we have as children, and the sense that we can be anything we want to be as adults. Queen Elizabeth II as a ballerina is the perfect archetype for all of our neglected dreams and our acceptance of what is predestined.

This piece represents my signature style as it is a depiction of a found photograph, the discovery of new and old images is something central to my practice, on Slate. Painting figuratively on the cold and hard surface of Slate, is something completely unique and is distinctly my style. It is symbolic of my Cornish roots, as I live in Cornwall, and all of the slate I use is from Delabole in the north of Cornwall. The sentimental images of children I find and re-present on slate always express their innocent expectations, and this naivety corresponds to the simplicity of the acrylic painting.