Postcard Portraits Exhibition

I created some 'small' portraits for an exhibition in spring.  I have been really enjoying experimenting with watercolour and combining pencil, ink and paint so I decided to use these to create my postcard portraits. I am experimenting with the concept of absence in some of my work (especially pencil work).  As hair is often an identifying feature I have been exploring leaving it blank; I like the aesthetic, that it is a bit unusual and also draws more attention to the face.

 Red Queen

 Self Portrait Silver and Purple

Spiritual Boadicea Green

  

Below the Surface Woman Blue

Here is another portrait from the 'Below the Surface' body of work.  I went to the Stanley Spencer Gallery recently and admired a sketched portrait of his first wife in hard pencil.  It inspired me to use hard pencil in this body of work. 

Woman Blue  21cm (w) x 42cm (h) pencil, ink and paint on paper

View / buy prints on Saatchi

Below the Surface...

‘Below the Surface’ is a body of work consisting of portraits created with hard pencil, ink and paint.  The paint is expressive, depicting elements of the subject’s character.  Here is one of the portraits, there are more to come!

Woman Yellow 29.7cm (w) x 42cm (h) pencil, ink and paint on paper

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Lineage

Here is another recent painting. It is a self portrait (not a very flattering one, but then that is not what self portraits are about!).  It is called Lineage, the painting is about heritage, ancestry, what gets passed down to us and what shapes us.  My dreads look like tree branches so I created a 'family tree' / 'tree of life' with the layout of my hair.  The splashes of colour represent different elements being passed down, the things that impact / shape us and the results. The turquoise represents bitter sweet elements and the yellow represents positive elements, such as love, joy and faith. 

Lineage 61cm (w) x 91cm (h) paint on canvas 

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Here is my documentation of 'Rebecca'...

New Portraits

Here are some new portraits of beautiful sitters...

                                                 Rebecca  36cm (w) x 46cm (h) paint on canvas 

 Rebecca II  46cm (w) x 36cm (h) paint on canvas 

Verity  36cm (w) x 46cm (h) paint on canvas 

New Artwork

I am excited about some new portraits... I was in London sketching and photographing models / sitters with amazing hair at the weekend.  I'm really looking forward to creating the final pieces.  I plan to document my process (something I don't usually do) so look out for some videos!

From Retrospective Sisterhood (Diptych)