Still: A Mesmerising Glimpse

By Elaine O’Neill

Elaine O’Neill, a founder member of The Red Leaf Creative Collaborative, presents ‘Still’. This captivating piece is part of her ‘Open Door’ series and offers a glimpse into one tiny corner of her lived experience as a carer for her daughter, Georgia, who has life altering chronic illness.

Elaine’s older daughter and Georgia’s sister, Erin Hephzibah, performed ‘Raggedy Ann’ for Blue Sunday for M.E. - The Concert in 2024, with original lyrics written by Georgia.

‘Still’ is an oil on paper measuring 42cm x 27cm that was created as part of the Red Leaf Creative Collaborative initiated by Jo Greer. It uses a limited palette so that the red leaf stands out as a symbol of hope, as it did on the day I found it, and as it symbolises within the Red Leaf Creative Collaborative.

Jo and I met through our children. Her son, Isaac, organised Blue Sunday for M.E. - The Concert featuring a variety of musicians, including my daughter, Erin. The concert raised awareness of ME and £1401 for Smile for ME and ME Research UK. ME is a cause close to all of our hearts, as Isaac and Erin share the experience of having a sibling affected by life-altering chronic illness.

The week before Jo contacted me about contributing to the Red Leaf Creative Collaborative, I had found a red leaf at my back door. My husband was going through some difficult health issues, and I was feeling overwhelmed managing both my husband’s and daughter’s illnesses, when I noticed the leaf. Finding it felt significant as it was different from the types of foliage in the surrounding area. It gave me an inexplicable sense of hope, so I brought it inside and placed it on my easel, intending to incorporate it into my artwork. A week later Jo got in touch with me.

The image is built around a moment in the story of the Princess and the Frog, when the golden ball has sunk to the depths of the pond. People will approach this moment of the familiar narrative through the lens of their own experience. For me, it portrays a pivotal point between an incident and what happens next; there are different ways to respond, different outcomes, and possibilities all existing in this space between occurrence and action. The scene invites thought and reflection through the moment in the narrative as well as the individual elements in the image. The golden ball draws focus and inspires a meditative gaze, and the eye is drawn through the image by the other details and their contribution to the painting.

‘Still’ is part of my ongoing series of ‘Open Door’ paintings. The ‘Open Door’ series delves into my experiences and subconscious, opening the door to themes in my life. The artworks feature doors that are slightly ajar, giving a glimpse into imagined scenes that are a mixture of narratives, dreams, and lived experiences. When Jo approached me about the Red Leaf project it felt appropriate to create an image as part of this series that is also able to stand alone, unique in its context.

An early sketch of ‘Still’

I attended Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, earning a BA in Fine Art, and later completed an MSc in Art Psychotherapy at Queen Margaret University. In addition to my art psychotherapy practice, I worked as an art teacher for twenty years. My own work is driven by narratives and personal symbolism that help me to understand my own internal world and process my experiences.

‘Harebrained’ is the debut EP from singer-songwriter Erin Hephzibah. Featuring original tracks, Raggedy Ann, Destroying Dandelions, and Year Walking.

Georgia Francis’s debut poetry collection, ‘Fainting Girl’, was released in March published by Quiet Island.

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Isaac is organising his second Blue Sunday for M.E. - The Concert in collaboration with Anna Redshaw, founder of Blue Sunday for ME. For the 2025 concert, he again hopes to raise awareness of ME, and funds for Smile for ME and ME Research UK. Erin has kindly gifted another beautiful performance for the concert.

Donations / registration now open at i4bsc.eventbrite.co.uk