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Name: Esme Morishima

School: Tiffin Girls' School

Town: Kingston-upon-Thames

County: Surrey

Year: Year 13

Inspiration: Art is a huge passion for me, and I have always allowed it to be heavily influenced by my own experiences, loves and environment. Half of my family are Japanese, and as such this country has had a huge impact on my previous artwork. This year has been a hugely demanding one for me, with my attention largely focused on applying for university. The one subject I feel truly dedicated to is biology and the natural world; my ultimate goal is to become a veterinary surgeon, and this idea has encompassed my work this year to the point of obsession. As a result, most of my A2 pieces are heavily inspired by animals and their often strange or wonderful anatomy.

Title: Oophorectomy (unfinished)

Description: This canvas was the most daunting prospect I have ever faced in A-Level art; not only is it the biggest I have ever had to paint, but was also to be completed in oil paints, a medium I have no previous experience with. I wanted to see how I could interpret the theme of ‘Figure in the Interior and Exterior’, but also wanted to choose something that I felt passionate about because this painting was going to require such a high level of dedication. Something else I am equally dedicated to is achieving my goal of becoming a veterinary surgeon, and this made me choose to paint a scene from a veterinary surgery. The procedure I photographed was neutering a female spaniel retriever named Daisy. The veterinarian is actually performing an oophorectomy – the removal of the ovaries – and the painting shows the final stages of the operation, sewing up the layers of skin and muscle to close the surgical wound. I wanted to highlight the precision and technicality of the procedure in the intricate metal tools and the close up intimate view of the surgeon’s hands contrasted with the wider background of the entire operation room.

Medium: Oil on canvas

Width: 180 Height: 120

Keywords: oil, painting, canvas, dog, canine, pet, vet, veterinary, surgeon, veterinarian, nurse, operation, surgery, operating, theatre, blood, wound, skin, muscles, sewing, suture, needles, scissor, metal