The Commission: Lily of the Valley for Royal Caribbean's New Cruise Ship

Lily of the Valley 2 (2026), Acrylic on canvas, 60×76 cm.

In early 2026, I took on one of the most exciting commissions of my career so far — a painting for Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship which has just set sail on its maiden voyage (July 2026). The work chosen for the commission was Lily of the Valley.

The original Lily of the Valley (2024) was the first painting in my Women in Shirt series, and it remains the piece most loved by collectors. When I painted it, I had no way of picturing how it would unfold. Every single brushstroke was an adventure — I had to pause, several times, simply to see what was emerging from within my own world.

Soon after I finished it, I realised that Lily of the Valley had become a landmark for me — a guide for the paintings that would follow. I decided to keep it, rather than offer it for sale. It never went to market.

Lily of the Valley 2 in progress.

So the sister piece was born: Lily of the Valley 2. I set the two canvases side by side and returned to that same adventurous, uncertain, yet bold brushwork. I found myself reunited with hundreds of shades of green and layers of light — the shades that had surprised and touched me as they first appeared on the canvas of the original.

Lily of the Valley tells me a story of beautiful contrast — delicacy and vulnerability held in the same breath as unapologetic confidence, the two in quiet harmony, just as they are in the flower itself.

Bon voyage!