My favourite one of my paintings of the last year, ‘The Friendly Fork’, inspired by my Aunt’s silver cutlery and Alan Bennett’s words:
‘’Note how personalised and peopled the material world is at a level almost beneath scrutiny. I’m thinking of the cutlery in the drawer or the crockery I every morning empty from the dishwasher. Some wooden spoons, for instance, I like, think of as friendly, others impersonal or without character. Some bowls are favourites; others I have no feeling for at all. There is the friendly fork, a bad knife and a blue and white plate that is thicker than the others which I think of as taking a kick if I discriminate against it by using it less.’’ Alan Bennett, ‘Untold Stories’
The first time I read those words I exclaimed out loud to the book ‘YES! That’s exactly what I’m on about!’
This Friendly Fork and its friends have sold, and are now hanging in their new (beautiful) surroundings…..