Noel McKenna Tamara entering the room

I enjoy painting the dachshund, which has been bred since the 15th century in Germany for hunting, as the short legs are suitable for going down holes after rabbits and badgers. It is an intelligent breed, full of character, and lends itself to being stretched out when I paint it.

I painted the dog, then built the room around it. The name comes from Tamara Toumanova, a Georgian–American ballerina. The book on the table is about Joseph Cornell, an American artist who was obsessed with Toumanova. The artwork, A Swan Lake for Tamara Toumanova (homage to the romantic ballet) 1946, is one that Cornell dedicated to the dancer. The owl is also a work by Cornell.

Noel McKenna, 2022