Mistress of Crewell

This work is part of a series of paintings inspired by reverse analogue negatives taken by my late husband of our family. The negatives were discovered in a box in the attic and were previously unseen.

Leaving the negatives undeveloped allowed for a more open and expanded translation into paint which focuses on raw emotions of the memory, versus a more literal reworking. The painting is imbued by grief and loss which is transmuted through the process of making into a new visceral reality. I work with full sensory awareness; colours and textures bring a new language for expression,

 ‘Mistress’ depicts my young daughter hiding behind a bowl of geraniums on a cafe table in rural France. The embellished hand moulded canvas edges replicate the embroidery on the cafe tablecloth. Painting the tiny jewel-like dots reminded me of the ritual of counting rosary beads ( my late husband was catholic). There was something in painting these dots which felt both reverential and healing. A slow mourning painterly practise.

oils, pigment and holographic glitter on hand moulded linen 100 x 75cm.