In conversation with George Parker-Conway: Closer Still at The Old Parsonage

For the latest in our In Conversation series, artist George Parker-Conway visits Closer Still, an exhibition by Antonia Patricia Miller (Toni) at The Old Parsonage in Didsbury.

George sat down afterwards to talk about the work that stood out to him, what he learned about Toni’s process and how the exhibition has inspired his own practice.

What did you think of Toni’s exhibition? Was there a piece of work that stood out to you?

I found it really impressive, especially the attention to detail. Field Notes on a Forgotten Summer (2026) with the hedgehog really stood out to me, in fact all of the ones with the vases did – they were brilliant and really eye-catching.

You and Toni talked about how she makes her work. What did you find interesting about her techniques and the materials she uses?

I was surprised to learn how she works – Toni’s practice is predominantly in acrylics. She works from small pencil drawings right up to large-scale pieces.

You talked about some of the things that inspired Toni’s work. Was there anything that interested or surprised you?

I really liked that she hasn’t gone for pure realism – that interested me a lot, and it means her work isn’t easy to copy because she has her own distinctive style. One thing that did surprise me was that some of her pieces have a signature and some don’t. I’d have assumed every piece would be signed, but Toni waits until she’s finished a painting and then decides whether the signature works with it. If it does, she adds it; if it doesn’t, she leaves it off.

Did you notice any similarities between the way you and Toni make art?

I have painted on canvas, although I tend to use oil and water-based paints, whereas I know Toni works differently. I have done some acrylic painting on flat canvases too. The biggest similarity, though, is that we’re both really keen on detail.

Has seeing Toni’s work inspired you to try any new techniques or ideas in your own work?

Definitely – it’s made me want to work on a larger scale. I liked the way Toni starts with drawings and then develops them into paintings, and the way she uses colour. You can’t rush that kind of work, you need to plan. One idea I’ve been thinking about is doing my designs in pencil first, then using sketch markers to work out colour and experiment before starting the final piece.

What did you enjoy about talking to Toni about her work?

I enjoyed finding out where Toni gets her inspiration from and what her work is really about. Colour is a big part of her work, and so is nature, the environment and ecosystems. It’s one of the best exhibitions I’ve seen – it wasn’t loaded down with text, which can be quite overwhelming. It was all very visual.

We also talked about where she gets her artwork printed, and how much the colours matter – it’s really important to get a good match when you’re having prints made of your work to sell.

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