One for Sorrow draws on the British superstition that seeing a solitary magpie foretells bad luck, and the small rituals performed to neutralise that threat.
The work explores the uneasy point at which inherited folklore becomes a personal system of protection. A chance encounter with a bird is transformed into an omen, creating an impulse to perform a ritual, find a second magpie and restore the promise of “two for joy”. The painting considers how irrational acts can offer a very real sense of reassurance and control over uncertainty.
Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, 2026122cm x 91cm 
