Oil and acrylic on canvas
 
This painting was made for my exhibition Endless Summer at Saltdean Lido, and it’s one of the more extravagant and playful pieces in the collection - bursting with colour, movement, and a healthy dose of rebellion.
 
Breaking the Rules is exactly what the title suggests - a celebration of all the things you’re not meant to do at the pool. I’ve included nods to the familiar signs we’ve all seen: No ball games. No petting. No diving. No pushing in - and then I’ve filled the scene with characters doing all of those things anyway.
 
On the right-hand side, you’ll spot a poster with all the pool rules - a quiet contrast to the chaos unfolding in the pool. It’s my way of gently poking fun at the order we try to impose on leisure and the joy that comes from letting go.
 
If you look up, you’ll see red ibises flying across the sky - a little surreal moment, and a personal symbol for me. They represent intuition and the quiet power of listening to your heart, even when the rules say otherwise.
 
This piece is about freedom, mischief, and that glorious feeling of being just a little bit naughty on a summer’s day. Because really - what’s a swim without a little splash of rule-breaking?