It started with a towel. My daughter’s place in Brisbane. A rustle in the dark, and suddenly there they were, baby ringtail possums, cupped gently in a towel, eyes wide open and reflecting the torchlight. Brief. Lit for a second. Gone. That single moment is exactly why the Nightlife collection exists. Meet Roof Access, a possum who knows all the secret entrances and could not care less if you know it.
When I sat down to paint this piece, I didn’t want to paint a textbook wildlife portrait. I wanted to paint that feeling. The sudden, fleeting encounter with something wild and completely unbothered by your existence.
The Inspiration Behind the Piece
Possums are the ultimate Aussie night-time neighbours. They patrol the rooflines, skulk along the guttering, and stare at you through the kitchen window like they own the place. They are elusive, wide-eyed, and surprisingly adorable for an animal that sounds like a gremlin having a tantrum at 3 AM.
That torchlight memory was the anchor for this piece. I wanted to capture that same wide-eyed innocence, that brief second of eye contact before they vanish into the shadows. There is no posing, no perfect lighting. Just a flash of white fur in the dark.
By putting this possum in stark, brilliant white against an inky black void, I stripped away the “pest” stereotype and gave him a quiet, haunting presence. He isn’t just a roof crasher; he is a tiny, wide-eyed explorer caught mid-journey.
The Creative Process: Building the Void, Then Bringing in the Light
For the Nightlife collection, the process begins long before I pick up a white brush. I work exclusively on A3 paper, but I don’t start on blank white space, I build the darkness first.
Laying the Foundation: I begin by coating the A3 paper with a thick layer of grey gesso. Once that dries, I add a second heavy coat of black gesso. I don’t smooth it out perfectly; I use deliberate brushstrokes to leave a gritty, raw texture in the background. This “roughness” is what gives the finished piece its depth when the white acrylic catches the light later on.
The Midnight Sketch: Once the black gesso is fully set, I don’t use a pencil. I grab a piece of chalk or a white charcoal pencil and sketch directly onto the dark, textured surface. Just loose, luminous outlines mapping out that distinct, rounded face, those tall ears, and the little paws that seem ready to scurry up a drainpipe.
The Dry-Brush Build: The magic happens when I begin laying down the pure white and soft shades of black acrylics. I work with both dry and wet brush techniques, letting the grain of the black gesso underneath show through the lighter shades. I build the form slowly, focusing on capturing the texture of that soft, grey-white fur, the curve of his long tail, and that wide, unblinking expression, loving the simplicity and challenge of using only black and white to define the shadows and highlights.
The Eyes: As with every piece in my portfolio, I leave the eyes for last. Two pinpoint whites of catchlight against the deep black pupils give this little explorer his soulful, knowing gaze. It brings me straight back to that Brisbane backyard, torchlight, a towel, and a moment I will never forget.
Bringing “Roof Access” Into Your Space
Because of its stark, minimalist design and textured background, “Roof Access” works beautifully in a hallway, a child’s bedroom, or a moody study. The bright white pops vividly against both dark charcoal and bright cream walls, making it a versatile statement piece for anyone who loves a quiet, curious presence on their wall.
If this little nocturnal explorer speaks to your own love for the secret corners of the night, you can view the original A3 acrylic painting or grab a fine-art print in the Nightlife collection.
