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One of my painting mentors claimed that for each student they can picture a painting – for me it was a portrait of a bat. This painting was done for a workshop that took place during the first national lockdown. A class with the objective to upscale a small object. Due to the covid-19 restrictions I, along with the rest of my class, had to work from home. So I was left find my own muse, which was a little dried-out bat.
How did I acquire this little creature you ask? Well, the bat managed to lock himself into a greenhouse and was unfortunately found completely dehydrated, perfectly preserved. Although there was a strict rule against pets in my accommodation, the bat accompanied me to University, I am glad he did. At this time of solitude locked within the four walls of my apartment I sympathetically felt drawn to paint this creature.
Despite the fact that as I painted, tears had escaped my eyes. I still enjoyed depicting this little being so much larger than he is in real life. It did not occur to me at the time, but this painting was a milestone in my work. This being one of my first paintings of an ‘object’ that was treated as more than a still life, I thought of it as a portrait. This painting pathed the way for me to paint the Mollusca Femella series which features upscaled shells.
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Dottie-may Aston 