THE HAUNTING Painting

When I first met cinematographer Augusta Miller for a portrait sitting, she recalled a dream about her godfather Nick Enright.. Nick had a profound influence on her life and the more we spoke of the dream the more appropriate it was to place her in it for this portrait. On his death bed at the very early age of 52, Augusta asked her godfather to come back and haunt her... he said he'd try. Eventually he appeared to her in a dream, alone on a dark stage, standing under a single spot light. Augusta asked of him: "Is there a God?" In THE HAUNTING Augusta listens for his answer. She also holds the watch he wore every day - the only possession of his that she requested after his passing. Uncannily, the watch stopped years later at 5.20 - the exact time of Nick's death. The 'shroud-like' quality I have chosen to encase the subject in, refers to the embroyonic ambience of the dream state... her head pushes through - out of the confusion - listening intently for an answer. Perhaps by holding something of his from the material world - his watch - thre may be a chance of connecting.....