Loves Me, Loves Me Not

Loves Me, Loves Me Not draws upon the familiar childhood ritual of pulling petals of a flower and removing them one by one in hopes of finding a definitive answer. Traditionally associated with the uncertainty of romantic affection, the ritual is defined here through the relationship between a parental figure and an adult daughter.

It explores the complicated relationship between love, money, gratitude and control, where affection is genuine yet the security offered alongside it can feel conditional. It considers the unsettling experience of being encouraged to pursue independence by the very person whose support makes that independence possible, only to discover that their generosity becomes less certain when those ambitions no longer align with their expectations. What once felt like unconditional support begins to resemble permission that can be withdrawn.

When financial security is used to influence another person's decisions, the distinction between protection and possession becomes difficult to recognise. This piece asks whether the original intention was to give someone the freedom to build a life of their own, or to give them freedom only within acceptable boundaries.

At what point does gratitude become an expectation of obedience? When someone is no longer willing to make the choices expected of them, can love remain as generous as it was before?

Each petal of the flower becomes a contradiction to be weighed: generosity against consequence, and affection against authority. The unsettling notion of chance within the game, where the answer depends entirely on which petal happens to fall last, much like the experience of never knowing which version of someones love will be encountered from one day to the next.

The flower's expressive brushstrokes reflect this emotional inconsistency. As the petals are imagined falling away, the flower becomes increasingly exposed, symbolising the emotional exhaustion of repeatedly searching for reassurance.

At its heart, 'Loves Me, Loves Me Not' questions the invisible debt that can emerge when financial provision becomes intertwined with love. Money can be one of the most tangible expressions of care, offering opportunity and the freedom to pursue a life that might otherwise feel impossible. Yet that same generosity carries power when the person providing it retains influence over whether that security continues.

Gratitude can become guilt, and support can feel transactional when past kindness is recalled as justification for authority over present decisions.

Questioning the conditions attached to someone's generosity can feel like questioning the love itself. Ultimately this painting is about the process of learning to recognise and appreciate what has been given without surrendering autonomy.

Canvas paper prints are ideal for framing. Stretched canvas over bars arrives ready to hang as a finished artwork.