From the Kenbally kitchen 34 x 43cm
I was recently asked to paint a still life using objects from a family farm where there was to be a reunion of descendants from around the world. This cracked old turnip masher and well thumbed cookbook are the only items remaining from the centuries-old kitchen at Kenbally, Co Antrim. With the McNeill family scattered across the globe the picture provides an evocative image of a common past.
I have undertaken quite a few commissions when I have the freedom to translate them in my own way! They all have the same aim – to capture objects that mean something to someone. The potency of these personal everyday objects adds another dimension to what seems like a standard still life painting. I was particularly keen to make the background reflect the objects without being dominant – weathered but not intrusive.
