"Back Portrait With Lady in the Van" is a continuation of the ‘Back Portraits’ Series, featuring a woman with her back turned, adorned in a feminine vintage-style straw hat. Inspired by both the film 'The Lady in the Van' (2015) and René Magritte’s surrealist approach, this piece depicts a road between mountains and a van visible through the woman’s translucent form. This imagery reflects the film’s narrative, which explores the true story of Alan Bennett’s complex friendship with Miss Mary Shepherd, an eccentric homeless woman who lived in a Bedford van in Bennett’s driveway for fifteen years. Dame Maggie Smith’s portrayal of Miss Shepherd brought a deeply personal and poignant touch to the film, which I found particularly moving. As the film reveals, Miss Shepherd was actually Margaret Fairchild, a gifted pianist with a tumultuous life. Blending Magritte’s surrealist influence with themes of impermanence and personal history, this work captures the essence of both the film and the artistic inspiration that resonated with me.

The 'Back Portrait' series was born out of my personal struggle with an aching back and the quirky notion that by creating multiple back portraits, I might metaphorically exorcise my pain. It turns out that swimming did the trick for the actual pain relief, and it’s while swimming that ideas for my artwork often come to me. So, in a way, these portraits are also a tribute to those moments of inspiration that come while I’m in the water, floating away my aches and dreams.