This work is from the last series of paintings on a theme Gollon painted before his untimely death in April 2017. A series of 23 paintings that were the climax of a two-year period of artistic boundary crossing with singer-songwriter Eleanor McEvoy. From 2015 – 2017, a very creative to-and-fro of images and lyrics took place, since they literally spoke to each other through their work, each taking the other’s art form to somewhere new.

It began with Eleanor buying a painting by Chris Gollon called 'Champagne Sheila', a very sensitively painted nude, a woman in middle age drinking too much champagne. The painting directly led to the concept of McEvoy’s 2016 album NAKED MUSIC, looking at ageing and female vulnerability and desire. On that album was a song she co-wrote with Lloyd Cole, called Dreaming of Leaving, which in turn prompted Gollon to paint an image.

Eleanor McEvoy was so taken with Dreaming of Leaving (the painting), she not only bought it and used both it, and three others, on her album cover; but the image inspired her to write the song Gimme Some Wine, which she then dedicated to Chris Gollon. She played it live for him at concerts in London and Monmouth in 2016. Gollon was very taken with the song, so much so, he made it the theme for his next 23 paintings. Just before his death they were shown at IAP Fine Art, with Eleanor McEvoy playing 'Gimme Some Wine' at the private view.