What is the 500 project?

Since 2019, I’ve been on a mission to create and give away 500 original paintings. I've completed more than 300 and have done art drops around the globe, leaving the paintings for people to find in places like park benches, playgrounds, paths, shop windows. I dot them around like Easter eggs in the cities that I visit and have friends who help me distribute them too.

My paintings have found homes in Japan, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Israel, United Kingdom and the USA from the east coast to the west, including Hawaii. With roughly 150 more to go, I hope to see them get dropped in even more countries.

Why are you doing this?

For years—five years exactly—I was in a position where I couldn’t sell my art. From 2018 to 2023 I was living and working in the UK after having been granted a work visa. The guidance for work visas stipulates that you aren’t allowed to draw an income outside of your sponsored employment, with only a narrow exception for doing up to 20 hours of contract work that is the same as the role you are employed in for your visa.

But there’s no rule saying you can’t give your gifts to the world freely and prolifically :)

This project started with an idea to celebrate my 33rd birthday with a random act of kindness. I decided to paint, package and distribute 33 canvases to celebrate the day.

I loved doing that project, and the response to that first art drop was so positive that I decided to keep going.

Maybe I couldn’t sell my art, but I could still practice my art, and because people like art I was sure to find homes for each and every piece I created. I set a goal to create 500 pieces, and while I’m now in a position where I can sell art commercially, I’m continuing the project until I complete it.

And honestly… this has been the most rewarding project I’ve ever done. It’s given me space to explore my art, to hone in on my process, to find real meaning in my work. It’s taught me that you reap what you sow. When we give our gifts to the world, we get gifts back. I might not be getting paid to do this project, but the rewards have been invaluable.

If you want to dive deeper into this story, you can read more here in this article, “How a small act of kindness became an act of prolific giving.”