This painting is part of a series of still life created for my solo show A Sense of Self. Each object I paint carries memory, emotion, and connection, acting as a physical embodiment of identity. These narratives share stories of lives lived in other places and times, reflecting familial ties and the journey of who we were, who we are, and where we have been.
This piece was painted in our dining room—the first in the series to be made outside the bathroom. The flowers in the vase are all from my garden. Roses remind me of my parents and Grandad, while pink pentas take me back to Peter Carpenter’s garden in Bermuda, where I painted during my early years living there. Buddleia, myrtle, and other plants evoke far-flung memories: Southern Gothic novels, Caribbean sailing trips, and first encounters with exotic fruits like passionfruit.
Even the fruit in the small bowl has its story—passionfruit from my garden, recalling my first taste in Wallilabou, St. Vincent. And the Poinciana tree, now providing generous shade, began as a $1 tube stock, linking back to childhood gardens and the red blooms of the Windward Islands.
Every element of this still life carries its own layered story, blending personal history with observation and reflection.
