The Little Girl Wore Red Shoes Collage

When she was born, her father rushed to a music shop to buy a boxed set of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” to provide a glorious welcome for her into the world. Three years later she was being physically mistreated frequently and was using the only weapon she had by refusing to eat, a baby anorexic. She was banished to a thousand miles away to be taken care of by old people and the only person who ever loved her unconditionally was her grandfather. He gave her a square metre of garden space, a small lavender plant and easy to grow flower seeds. When it grew dark he taught her all the magic of the night skies so she knew how to find her way south using the Southern Cross, and learned to identify the Orion Constellation by standing upside down. Early in the morning, he showed her the stars in the dew-drenched grass beneath her feet. This story can be read in the letter included in this mixed media work, sent to her when she was 3 years old by her grandmother, with her adored grandfather watching over her as she discovered that her golden chain was irrevocably broken. I have tried to represent a little girl who was unloved and unwanted by all except for her grandfather. He was the only sure thing in her life, throughout her life. I hope the viewers see that all that seems to be is not necessarily true, that there are very few perfect "Happy Families" or "Ideal Lives", most of them are are fabricated lies for public consumption to hide uncomfortable truths and dysfunctional relationships. I chose this medium because I own the photographs and the letter, and I cut and used many of butterflies and flowers I have painted in my life. I also did not want to change the truth that was written and captured by a camera a long time ago.

Collage:Paper on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:20 W x 16 H x 0.5 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.