Down To The Hollow

These were painted as a response to the end of my lovely father’s glorious life.  My family spent the last few days of his 96 years by his bedside trying to soothe his imminent departure.  These days were full of peace, pain, gratitude and love.  After he’d passed I came home feeling a full and wholesome sense of a life having been well lived with gentleness, adventure and achievement. I got to work in my studio and picked up all my unresolved paintings that were floating around like lost souls and sent them confidently across their finish line.  

My Dad was eccentric, quirky and funny as well as kind, intelligent and generous.  He had a huge obsession with water and personal cleanliness. He was not only an obsessive hand washer but an openly - obsessive bather, face washer and 30 minute shower-er.  He was also a singer, an operatic bass baritone, in his younger life.  Amongst many classical operas and operettas that he would sing whilst bathing he would also sing The Hippo Song by Flanders and Swan.  The lyrics being….

Mud mud glorious mud, nothing quite like it for cooling the blood, so follow me follow down to the hollow, and there let us wallow in glorious mud. 

RP Last was unapologetically himself.  And from his passing I have learnt that to be truly yourself is everything. 

In creating these 11 paintings I have tried to make sense, pay respect and honour my father, the years that we had with him, his final moments and our glorious memories. 

Bye Dad, you were wonderful. 

These paintings are now for sale and will be part of an exhibition in October at Blue House Art Space, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9RT.  From 6th to 19th October.  11am til 5pm (Closed Mondays and Tuesdays).