2020/21 was looked upon as a time of change, uncertainty, anxiety, and hours and hours of entertainment being consumed by most people. James S Watson used an old tool from his depression toolbox to get through those times by picking up his pencils and drawing. Watson wanted to draw attention to movie directors. They are captains of the entertainment industry, and people for whom James continues to draw inspiration from, and look to any time that he needs some relief from the pressures of the world around him. 

James won the Chairman's prize in Upstairs' Emerging Artist Prize (2021) and was a finalist in the previous years entries. This is his first solo exhibition with Upstairs Gallery and has exhibited as a solo artist at Studio One/ Toi Tū on Two occasions. "From Inside a Bubble: When an artist's response to isolation is the company of storytellers and personal heroes." Was crowd funded by boosted and wouldn't have been possible without the support of the Titirangi community and people who have supported James S Watson.