For this assignment I have thought long and hard about what I want my painting to portray. This painting tells a very personal story, it’s something that I have been planning since pre-reading the assignment. Unfortunately due to circumstances out of our control this painting has now become more relevant.
I have planned to add objects and clues to the life of the frail lady in the bed.
I made a start on the picture on the wall which depicts a couple in happier times and shows the fun loving personality of the individual. The woman is shown in a hospital bed, hunched over and vulnerable.
I have placed objects on the side table which gives the viewer clues to the life and illness of the lady, they include medicines and a burning cigarette along with an oxygen bottle which is shown on the other side of the bed.
I have also added a group of letters of achievement which were given to her, they include an invitation to go to the queens garden party, civic awards, letters from the House of Commons and local council awards to name a few. On the table in the background there are more boxes of medicine and a vase of flowers containing her favourite gladioli and white lilies, (the Lilly is associated with death).
This is a close up of the figure, as you can see I have painted her with fading edges and she is not as clear as some other areas of the painting. The reason behind this is to show that she is fading away. The fading out is being drawn towards the open door which signifies that she could be leaving soon.
So here’s the story behind this quite personal painting. This is a painting of my mother-in-laws last weeks/days. She suffered with emphysema due to smoking which later developed into cancer. She was a well respected lady in her community and received many awards for the work that she did on her estate, hence the certificates on the wall behind her. I have included other clues in the painting including the cigarette on the table alongside the inhaler and medication. On the table at the back of the room there is more medication and a vase of flowers containing white lilies (which represent death) and her favourite flowers, gladioli. The picture of the couple is a reminder of happier times. But one thing that maybe wasn’t as obvious as it could have been, was the fading quality of her, this represents her passing, which unfortunately she did, last month.
This painting may not be the most accurate portrait but I think it captures her towards the end of her life.
klpaint 