Summer's Gold 
80x120x4cm
Framed size 82x122x6.8cm
 
This painting is part of a new series  of still life created for my solo show " A Sense of Self"
Objects preserve a wealth of significant emotion and connection, serving as physical embodiments of identity. The narratives of these objects project a sense of self while sharing stories of lives lived in other places and times. They hold a physical representation of experience, speaking of familial ties and the story of who we were, who we are, and where we have been.
This was the first painting of the series to feature the original casement windows in our ensuite bathroom. Our house is a 1922 workers' cottage and was moved from Pinkenba in 2010 to be restored and extended. Most of the windows were replaced but these were labouriously sanded and painted by me, with new blue glass installed. I wanted to explore the compositional structure of interiors and window frames. I loved the feeling of golden French light and the promise of sunshine in the paintings of the post-impressionists especially whilst residing in grey, bleak Manchester. Views through windows are a homage to the exquisite paintings of Matisse, and Bonnard.The spider lilies in the jug were a hand-me-down when friends left Brisbane for Canberra. They have thrived and flower around Christmas. Mangoes are the ultimate signal of a Queensland summer and the pomegranates now pop up in the shops as summer begins. I am allergic to mangoes, a long and sad story. Pomegranates remind me of the autumn in the UK. My Mum would buy a pomegranate from the market in town, once a year, one pomegranate. She told me that the white pith around the jewel seeds was poisonous so I would eat them with paranoid care. Summer's Gold is also a reference to a cocktail mixer (Somer's Gold) which is essential in the signature drink of Bermuda, the Swizzle.