This painting, which I made a couple of weeks ago, is a paean to a pair of boots that I’m particularly fond of. Sadly they’re no longer able to service my feet in the way they once admirably did. The soles are breached, the zip is broken, the seams are coming apart. It’s time to say goodbye.

I’m particularly fond of these boots as they were the first birthday present given to me by my wife. Bought in River Island in Speke way back when, we were never sure whether the chalk effect was deliberate, but we fell for them as they were and chalky they stayed.

Those boots of mine walked me through some happy times. Though no longer wearable, friend and fellow creative Susan Lee Brown has suggested turning them into garden planters, which I think is a splendid idea.

The painting was completed in an afternoon session and was made in Daler-Rowney Georgian oil paints on prepared board. It measures around 20” x 16” (50 x 40 cm).