Still Life

The use of simplicity could only help the artist’s communication, for the purpose of Still Life painting is, for Dorothy, the same as any other; to reveal deep thoughts, emotions and spiritual truth. Indeed, she described the processes involved in painting composition as “spiritual and enduring acts of worship and love”. Given this, even when faced with the task of depicting an inanimate object, artistic technique must endeavour to only highlight the spiritual, not force it upon a work. The artist’s role is, therefore, to dig within the subject matter to find this sense, to connect with it and then to respond both emotionally and spiritually, such that the canvas becomes a place where even the artist’s soul is laid bare.