Woman with fish

This piece was driven by an interest in characters that appear calm on the surface but feel emotionally unstable the longer you look at them. The wide eyes, fixed smile, and rigid pose are intentional—they suggest someone trying to hold themselves together while something unspoken sits just beneath the scene.

The fish functions less as an object and more as a weight. It’s something held rather than presented, carried rather than celebrated. Whether it represents responsibility, guilt, survival, or routine is left open, but it introduces a tension between the domestic setting and the strangeness of the act itself. Nothing dramatic is happening, yet the moment feels loaded.

Rather than offering resolution, the painting invites unease. The simplified forms and bright colours mask a psychological edge, encouraging the viewer to question what’s being felt rather than what’s being shown. The longer the image is held in view, the less certain it becomes.

In a room, the work doesn’t blend into the background—it subtly disrupts it. The colour brings light, but the expression holds the space, creating a quiet pressure that draws people back for a second look. It’s a piece that unsettles without shouting, rewarding viewers who are comfortable sitting with ambiguity.

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John Stockwell is an artist based in the lush hinterland of Maleny, Queensland.

For a decade he worked as a portrait artist, honing his skill in capturing the human face with precision and sensitivity. Eventually, though, the pull of pure imagination became too strong to ignore. He set aside realism and began creating bold, quirky, exaggerated characters—wide-eyed women with swirling gazes, outsized lips, and a mischievous energy that leaps off the page.

His current works are playful, slightly absurd, and unapologetically expressive. Bright colours, distorted features, and unexpected scenarios (Glittering fish, lurking cats, floating skulls) combine to create scenes that feel both humorous and oddly haunting.

John’s art is about letting the subconscious run the show—turning everyday moments into surreal little stories that make you pause, smile, and look twice.

You can find his original drawings and limited-edition prints exclusively on Bluethumb