The Victorian shoe series started as a fun project trying to recreate a Victorian shoe painting owned by a friend and which I really loved. I was lying in bed one COVID morning and remembered my promise that one day, when I have time, I will paint my own Victorian boot… These shoes represent all those fun, pompous and superficial parts of ourselves that have become dormant during isolation. It longs for a time when things seemed easier and more fun.
The subject matter also provides me with an opportunity to play with texture, colour, real garnets, stick-on flowers, paper butterflies and all the things left lying around by the kids after parties and especially Valentine’s Day!
The daylilly is my favourite flower and a a symbol of devotion which always remind me of my mother and the sacrifices she made for us. This image is an ode to her, she was a fashion designer who also instilled in me a love of texture, pattern and all things beautiful.
