Pre Selection

"Congratulations,
We’re pleased to inform you that one or more of your work (s) have been pre-selected to go through to the next stage of selection for this year’s exhibition. "

Just saw this message yesterday, so, through to the next round of The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual exhibition at The Mall Galleries in London, with this portrait of Alasdair

And this portrait is through to the next stage of selection for the new exhibition 'Self, Open Exhibition 2013' also at the Mall Galleries in London

Here's hoping they get on the wall!

Painting the side profile

Lots of my paintings recently have been of models from the side, here are a couple below.
Something about the space our faces occupy form this angle interests me, the shape we cut into the background.

Komachi

 

 

                                                                                 Saras

                                                                          Matthew



Painting Matthew;
I had this big sheet of heavy watercolour paper, and had the urge to use it all to capture Matthew's interesting, understated pose. To begin with I used the watercolour paint loosely and with big sweeping strokes, this was great fun and quickly established Matthew's general position, some unexpected and exciting patterns began to emerge too. Watercolour paint really is irresistably absorbing. I often find that, by some fluke, the run of the paint corresponds with what I am trying to achieve, and I'm half way there.

Once the general sweep of the body was convincing enough I was able to really enjoy describing the skin on the face and hands. Being the only warm tones, they easily read as skin. Then I didn't need much to tie it all together, just a few descriptive lines here and there .

Thanks to Matthew who was so settled in himself throughout, and to Damian who insisted there was no need to 'do the chair'!
(This watercolour, of artists model, Matthew, was painted at Damian Callan's workshop at Wasps studios in Dalry.)

 

RWS Windsor and Newton Prizewinner!

Hurrah! I won a Windsor and Newton award at the RWS Contemporary watercolour exhibition at the Bankside Gallery in London, with this painting of 'Matthew'

This painting of Dimos was also selected, both are on show this week at the Bankside gallery.

Then on the 15th of March I am exhibiting 6  paintings of well known golfers as part of the Greywalls exhibition at Gullane Art Gallery.(www.gullaneartgallery.co.uk) They have all been winners of the British Open when it was held at Muirfield golf course near Gullane. Heres one of them...

All 6 paintings will feature in a book on Greywalls to be launched at the same time as the exhibition...15th March