An Act of Remembrance

Another painting on Arches oil paper, which I continue to enjoy. I wanted to play with perspective a little bit with this one, and included a blue backdrop in order to add both an element of colour as well as a subtle compositional abstraction. I tried to simplify the brushwork and be more confident in thickening the paint. The more that goes on, the harder it can be to control, so it is something that requires a conscious process.

The subject is another personal reference to Sophie. I buried her with sprigs of Rosemary from the same plant that I took these from. Back in April, when she died, the Rosemary had small white flowers on it, and was one of only a very few things in the garden in leaf. Over the years, I let the patch of ground where we planted a selection of herbs and lavender get out of control. It became a place that all the dogs liked to get in amongst to snuffle around, sometimes flattening an area to hide in. I always knew when Sophie had been in there because she would leave smelling of Rosemary or Sage.

After the event I looked up the significance of Rosemary in the Language of Flowers. It is a plant associated with love and loyalty, and all the way back to Roman times is a symbol of remembrance. The perfect choice for my darling girl.