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Artist Notes

How My Artwork Reached 600,000 People

2026-03-19 - 3 min read

Hope In Bloom daffodil artwork printed on The Salvation Army Easter card, shown on a table with text about visiting The Salvation Army headquarters.

Hope In Bloom is a daffodil watercolour that became part of The Salvation Army UK's 2026 Easter thank-you card campaign, reaching over 600,000 supporters across the country. The painting began as a simple image of spring light, yellow flowers, and the feeling of hope returning after winter.

From one painting to a national card

It is still quite hard to take in that number. I usually think about paintings in much quieter terms: one sheet of paper, one brush, one wash of colour, one moment where something starts to feel alive on the page.

Why daffodils felt right

Daffodils carry hope without needing to explain themselves. They arrive after the cold months, bright but modest, and remind us that return can be gentle. I wanted the painting to feel open, grateful, and full of light.

Being chosen for the Easter card mattered because the image was being used for encouragement. It was not only about reach, although 600,000 people is extraordinary for an artist to hear. It was about the purpose of the image and the message it helped carry.

Hope In Bloom today

Hope In Bloom now sits in the Flowers of Hope collection. For each Hope In Bloom sale, 25% is donated to The Salvation Army UK. That connection feels right for a painting that has already travelled further than I ever expected.

A useful note for press, collectors and local supporters

This story is one of the clearest examples of what I hope a watercolour can do: begin quietly, carry a human feeling, and then reach people far beyond the studio. For press, churches, charities, stockists or local galleries, it shows how the work can hold hope, community and a practical purpose.

If this story brought you here, you can view Hope In Bloom in the gallery and enquire about the original, prints, cards, or a piece with a similar feeling of renewal.

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