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Small Voice of Calm
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ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I am
passionate about portraiture.
In an age of digital cameras, quick snaps of family and loved ones
are stored on the computer, but rarely seen. Photographs can capture
a moment, but can’t tell the whole story.
My challenge as a portrait painter is to try and tell more of a
person’s story, to capture their energy, personality, maybe even
their soul.
The process takes time. It takes me considerable thought and many
layers of oil paint to build the character of my subject into their
portrait.
I start with an informal chat. What is the client looking for in the
painting? Is it a special gift? Is it to mark an important occasion?
I spend time getting to know the person, photographing them, and
then painting them from life. I like to get them to sit for me a
couple more times, if
possible.
Sometimes I am asked to paint a family member who has passed away,
and I work from photographs alone. It is an honour to be asked to do
these paintings.
I have painted husbands, wives, children and pets, people of all
ages….even celebrities. I painted acclaimed writer Tony Buzan, for a
UK commission to mark his sixtieth birthday.
As well as commissions, I paint to exhibit. I am currently working
on a series of large portraits with the theme “A small voice of
calm”, exploring how we find a moment of calm in our hectic lives.
I have been painting professionally for over ten years, and had the
great pleasure of being mentored by established New Zealand Artists
Matthew Browne and Melissa Anderson Scott.
My paintings are hung in homes throughout Auckland, in the South
Island and the UK.