This is my most honest self portrait; dark circles prominent, hair stripped back, lashes and face bare and free from the armour that make-up provides. I wanted to show the raw me, because being a Mother has changed me; wholeheartedly and beautifully. My work explores human relationships and mental health issues through intimate portrait paintings and installations. I attempt to push the boundaries of portraiture, by at times uniquely combining both visual and audio elements, giving what’s thought to be an invisible illness both visibility and presence. My Bipolar Picasso project, fuelled by personal experience, is a series of immersive art installations, featuring intimate paintings and audio recordings of people who have experience with mental health issues. The visitor is confronted with intimate paintings; alongside each portrait sits an accompanying audio piece, revealing the spoken words and innermost thoughts of the sitter. The visitor becomes fully immersed in a sensory exploration of the mind. In a time where we need hope more than ever, my portraits aim to uplift and help those who are struggling by exploring how people are maintaining positive mental health, as well as helping to break down the stigma that still very much exists. During the Covid-19 lockdown, my painting of NHS doctor ‘Sophie’ was illuminated on London’s Oxford Street as part of a huge display of public art for the #MakeItBlue initiative.