My NFT journey has began. I must admit, I was quite reluctant at first due to my lack of knowledge about the whole NFT market, but I thought I will give it a go. To be honest – I would never have started if it wasn’t for Matthew Turner from Regency Wealth Management. It is fair to say that it has been his idea from the very beginning.

I have met Matthew while living in Kuwait and we stayed in touch. Few months ago he called me to ask if I would be interested in entering the world of NFT’s. His passion and knowledge sealed the deal. And here we are – launching our first NFT related project together. Matthew came over to see me in Portugal and we had a very intensive few days brain storming ideas and drinking wine (mostly drinking wine). That is how iNFT was born. The ‘i’ relates both to me as an artist and to the fact that all our NFT’s feature eyes.

It is always interesting for me to mix the world of art with that of technology, but I am aware that a lot of my followers don’t necessarily get the meaning of what NFT’s are. I will try to explain it best I can (yet again Matthew comes to rescue with some simple explanations :P).

NFTS or “Non-fungible tokens” use cryptocurrencies’ blockchains to sell original versions of digital artefacts.

Non-fungible tokens” (nfts) jumped to the forefront of mainstream art in March 2021 when Christies, a British auction house, sold a digital work of art for $69m. What was actually sold was an NFT, a cryptocurrency chit that proves a buyer owns an intangible marker connected to a unique piece of digital art, music or other item.

An NFT is a record or data entry onto a cryptocurrency’s blockchain (an immutable ledger that can record more than just virtual coins) that represents pieces of digital media. Invented only a few years ago, it can link not only to art but also to text, videos or bits of code. This solution attempts to solve the thorny problem with digital art: how to own an original. NFT Creators who freely upload their work or sell it as identical copies, the concept of an original can be difficult to pin down precisely. Exclusivity is impossible to enforce when digital files can be shared freely on the internet. But collectors want the cachet that comes with having an exclusive claim on an artwork. This is where NFTs come into their own.

My cat died.

In fact, it was a pussy, and she did not die, but was put to sleep. Eighteen years together. She moved with me from Warsaw to Kuwait, from Kuwait to Lisbon and then further to the Portuguese countryside.

She was quite a bitch – she did not like people (especially children, to whom she was religiously aggressive), she was a very picky eater and she was always in charge of the rest of my cats and two dogs. I guess that’s why there was such a close bond and a lot of love between us. The dictator cat and me.

Maybe it’s a cliché that animals take after their owners, I don’t know…. To me, there is some truth to this. With Goblin (that was her name), I had a strong relationship based on a code of rules that we both strictly followed.

I still have two cats – Slipper (the cuddly one), LuLu (the ugly one) and two Weimar pointers: Slate (the leader) and Flint (a drama queen). So if I take after my animals it would make me a spastic drama queen who likes to cuddle every now and then. I suppose it could be worse.

I feel much better around animals than with people. People fail on so many levels! They are flawed by nature. An animal, on the other hand, does not have this selfishness, it is loyal and protective. It is not afraid to show how much it loves you, neither it is afraid to show its gratitude for your love. A simple, unpretentious relationship. Also, there is nothing better then a properly warmed-up couch or hiking together in the woods or long-lasting face licking/stroking sessions.

It’s good to be an artist: P I can work when I feel like it (and I always feel like it), I can take a break and go for a coffee or not take a break and paint, for example, all night long.

Quick paintings are certainly not easier to accomplish. They simply require more precision and are more expressive at the same time.

From time to time a painting is created in one session. This has its advantages, such as the freshness of it, expressiveness or the intensity and continuity of the narrative. It also has its drawbacks – it requires more focus from me and leaves no room for mistakes. I like this quick process because it better reflects what’s on my mind at a given moment.

My friend Łukasz Bozycki had an idea to make a time laps video and try to paint a painting in one go. He set up all his gadgets, set up the lamps and sat me inside all of it with a blank canvas. He turned on the recording and went for a vodka (or some noodles, I don’t know), leaving me in the studio for a few hours in a very uncomfortable position ….

It is so nice that with small communities everybody becomes a part of daily life. Projects like this one also give a chance to younger generations to participate and to express themselves. It was a pleasure to be working alongside them and even my limited knowledge of Portuguese language was not a problem (quite the opposite, they defo taught me few cool expressions and new swear words:P).

Working in the centre of Sao Luis.

It took us almost one month to finish. But it was an incredible experience. Every passer by would engage in conversation, I had older people telling me stories about the well and teaching me history of the town. But my favourite part of the day was when local restaurant owners would come over offering me coffee or little snacks (sometimes full lunches and yes, I do like my food).

I am very proud of the final result and I hope the new Old Well will become a part of Sao Luis for years to come.

None of it would be possible without Fernando and support from CIN, who kindly gave us their best paints.