She stands completely still in the dark. Tall. Unblinking. Watching you with a quiet, unnerving dignity. And tucked safely in her pouch is a tiny pair of ears, barely visible, trusting her completely. Meet Plus One, a stoic kangaroo mum who knows exactly what she is protecting, and exactly who she is watching.
When I sat down to paint this piece for my Nightlife collection, I didn’t want to paint the kangaroo you see bounding across a golf course at dawn. I wanted to paint this one. The one who stands motionless in the shadows, guarding the night with zero fanfare.
The Inspiration Behind the Piece
Kangaroos have this incredible ability to stand still and watch. They don’t flinch. They don’t run. They just observe you with a quiet, dignified presence that makes you feel like you are the one being evaluated.
But when you look closer, you see the real story. That tiny joey tucked into the pouch. The “plus one” who is completely vulnerable, completely dependent on the towering presence above her. There is something fiercely protective about that image. A mother standing tall in the dark, scanning the horizon, while her baby stays safe in the shadows.
By putting this kangaroo in stark, brilliant white against an inky black void, I stripped away the everyday familiarity and gave her a haunting, monumental gravity. She isn’t just a kangaroo. She is the quiet strength of the Australian bush, standing guard over the next generation.
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 her tall, proud posture, her long ears scanning the darkness, and the subtle curve of the pouch where the joey hides.
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 strength in her chest, the quiet tension in her stance, and that tiny, subtle detail, the joey’s ear peeking out from the pouch, 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. A single pinpoint of white catchlight against the deep black pupil gives this silent guardian her soulful, knowing gaze. She is watching. She is protecting. And she is not moving until she knows the coast is clear.
Bringing “Plus One” Into Your Space
Because of its stark, minimalist design and textured background, “Plus One” works beautifully in a living room, a nursery, or a bedroom that needs a quiet touch of strength. The bright white pops vividly against both dark charcoal and bright cream walls, making it a versatile statement piece for any space that values protection, motherhood, and quiet dignity.
If this stoic guardian speaks to your own protective instincts, you can view the original A3 acrylic painting or grab a fine-art print in the Nightlife collection.
