High Tea

 Oil on cardboard  

24 x 24 inch
2010

For London Miles Gallery 'Made In Britain' group show
http://www.londonmiles.com/Made-in-Britain.html

My inspiration for this piece started from the magical Tudor style houses seen in Britain.

The texture of old oak timbers, warped with age and the bulging walls of these buildings are to my foreign eye, the quintessence of ‘Englishness’.

I also find the monochrome contrast of black wood and white plaster visually powerful. These elements I have incorporated in this painting. The sombre interior is given relief from the rear window light. The main figure is engaged in a very British ritual (tea time). She is chastened by her doll who holds the key to her liberation. Although trapped inside her darkened room, her dream reality permits her to enjoy the exterior freedom of her doll’s house.