City Church Portraits

It’s a real privilege to paint a Portrait of a Friend. In 2014 I painted a series of portraits of City Church members. These were to hang in the atrium of the CastleGate. One of the portraits was of a gentleman called Leon Le Dune. He sadly passed away earlier this month. Leon sat for me several times in my studio so that I could paint his portrait from life. You can read more about these portraits and see a photograph of Leon on an older blog post.

Several months later after I completed Leon’s portrait, he and his wife Linda came on the first of several Painting Holidays in Umbria, Italy which we ran. We were able to get to know them both very well. They both became very much a part of the holiday. Leon would play the grand piano in the evenings for the guests. On one occasion, I painted a sketchbook watercolour of Leon as he played the piano. This became the inspiration for a much larger watercolour which I titled “Worship”. The painting featured various objects that are in the living room of Chiesa Del Carmine which can be used for meditation and reflection.

Worship

Leon was a wonderful man of God who inspired so many with his clear christ like character, love, warmth and wisdom. He always took a great interest in you and at the same time, was fascinating to listen to. It was Leon who inspired me to learn to play the piano at the age of 54, and I’m so glad I did.

He and Linda loved to come and visit us and to view my new paintings. Susan would often make cheese scones for them which Leon loved. The last time we saw him was in the home where he spent the last year or so of his life. Susan baked Leon a cheese scone which he tucked into straight away with a cup of tea. We are sad that Leon is no longer with us, but we know that we will see him again one day. We thank God for his friendship and I’m thankful that we have a Portrait of a Friend.

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Grey Street Painting

This week saw me reach another landmark birthday, I’m now 60 years old. I have to say that I’m grateful to God that I’ve been blessed with 60 years to date. However, compared to my 60th, my 50th birthday was more of a year of contemplation and challenge. In 2011 when I was approaching 50, I had appeared on a BBC programme called “Show me the Monet” with one of my paintings of Grey Street. The comments from the art critics on the programme made me reflect on my art career at the time. I decided to make some purposeful studies into oil painting and portraiture. This led to some amazing portrait commissions.

Painting in Florence

One of the most exciting trips to Italy we’ve made was spending two weeks in Florence at the Charles Cecil Studio to study Sight Size painting. What I learnt in those two weeks was the start of a journey into a much deeper exploration into portraiture which is ongoing, even today. Of course, the real learning came in the weeks and months after the Florence trip as I began to study the portraits of one of my painting heroes, John Singer Sargent.

Portrait Commissions

Many hours were spent copying some of Sargent’s oil painting portraits and dozens of his portraits in my Moleskine sketchbooks. I would fill page after page to get a deeper understanding of his techniques. I also wanted to grasp how he captured mood, light and expression. The hard work paid off and I began receive some great portrait commissions.

Junction 42

Fast forward to 2021 and my career as an artist has seen some exciting developments which were not on my radar in 2011. These changes are still related to art and I’m learning even more. Since March 2018 I have been working part time for a North East Charity called Junction 42. My main role is an Outreach Worker which you can read about in a recent blog post. However, I’ve been using my portrait skills to help teach portraiture to prisoners throughout the UK through the Junction 42 Creative Art packs and Faith Packs.

The way I’ve approached my 60th year is quite different to my 50th in that I’ve more of an attitude of gratitude than the sense of ambition and quest for improvement I had age 50. It’s not that I’m totally satisfied with where I’m at. It’s just that for now, I’m more content in letting God open the doors He wants me to go through.

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I’ve recently acquired my third original painting through the Artist Support Pledge. I spent a while waiting for the right painting to turn up before seeing the work of an Italian artist who goes under the name of Rosso Art.  Rosso had posted an original painting on her Instagram account rossoartist which was available through the Artist Support Pledge. I would have bought it but it had just been snapped up 20 minutes earlier. I sent Rosso a direct message to see if she had any other work available. She showed me this lovely portrait of a young black girl. It was larger than the paintings she had available through the Artist Support Pledge, so it was more than £200. However, it was just what I wanted so I was happy to pay the extra, knowing that it was still helping a fellow artist during COVID 19 pandemic.

Rosso

Rosso’s work is very different from my own. She is an award-winning portrait artist who brings intimacy and character to her colourful paintings. Italian born, Rosso lives and works in London since 2004. She graduated in Political Science in Italy then obtained an MA in International Communications and Human Rights at City University in London (UK). She worked in marketing and advertising before changing her career direction to the visual arts.
Rosso trained briefly at the Royal Drawing School and at the London Atelier of Representational Art (LARA) in London, but is primarily a self-taught artist.

You can see how her style and technique is developing and changing through her Instagram account. I particularly like her use of strong vivid background colours. Thay contrast beautifully against the deep, rich skin tones of her striking portraits.

Watercolours

I’m continuing to upload some of my previously unseen original watercolours onto the Artist Support Pledge page on my website. Even though COVID 19 restrictions are gradually being lifted, it will be a while before the art scene will return to where it was at before lockdown. I still feel it’s important to continue to support artist who rely on selling paintings as their primary source of income.

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Dog Portraits

I was recently commissioned to paint a portrait of a clients pet dog. It was a surprise 50th birthday present. They supplied me with several photographs for me to work from. All I had to do was make the most suitable selection. Needless to say, the recipient was delighted with the painting of his faithful friend.

I enjoyed the process of capturing the character of the dog so much that I decided to paint a portrait of Ed. Ed was our second German Shepherd who passed away last year. He was over twelve years old and was very much part of our family. Our grandchildren loved him. I think that it’s so important for children to grow up with pets.

Oil Paints

I find that oil paints are the ideal medium to do Dog Portraits. Oils are much more forgiving than watercolours. Also, the pigment stays wet much longer. Oils allow you to push the paint about. It gives you the freedom to be loose and expressive with your brush marks. Being free and direct with your brush is very much in keeping with the subject matter. Dogs are rarely static. Lively, fluid strokes help to express their movement and character.

Commission a Portrait

My portrait of Brooklyn was quite a small study of an English Cocker Spaniel ( 10″ x 8″ ). Again, it was worked from a photograph. I used a limited palette of White, Yellow Ochre, Light Red and Lamp Black. I painted his collar bright red to add splash of colour adding further interest to the portrait. The customer was thrilled with their painting.

Mental Health

Having a pet dog or cat can be so beneficial for your physical and mental health. Research says that pet owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. Apparently people with pets have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those who don’t have pets. Dogs need exercise and so do humans. Taking your dog out for a walk twice a day is good for your physical health.

We’ve had two German Shepherds throughout our married life. Having a dog undoubtedly creates mess. However, they do provide so much joy and unconditional love. They become part of the family. It’s always sad when you have to say goodbye to them. Dog Portraits are a way of keeping their memory alive.

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St Nicholas Cathedral Exhibition

Prison Week

As part of Prison Week, there is an exhibition of prisoners work on display at St Nicholas Cathedral in Newcastle. Since August I’ve been teaching some of the prisoners from a north east prison how to draw portraits. Most of them have had little or no experience of any drawing since childhood, so the tuition began at a very basic level.

First, I demonstrated to them on how to structure the proportions of a face using a simple grid. They then started drawing some portraits by the artist John Singer Sargent from photocopies, using charcoal pencils. It was very foreign to them all to begin with. However, they quickly began to surprise themselves with their initial results. Although some struggled, for many, their confidence and self-belief began to grow.

Rembrandt

After a couple of weeks of using charcoal pencils, they then moved on to copying some etchings of Rembrandt self-portraits using just a biro. This time they began to grasp the concept of creating tone by just using line.

We then split them up into pairs and they took turns in drawing each other. They started by using the techniques and methods taught over the previous weeks. Finally, they spent a couple of weeks working on their own self-portraits with the use of a small mirror. The process of drawing themselves led to discussions around various mental health issues that they are experiencing and some positive self-reflection.

Prisons

It’s a very challenging environment to teach art in. Ultimately, it’s about getting the prisoners to engage in a positive way to help them re-think their lives on how to make better choices for when they are released back into society. Some will go on to attend Alpha courses in prison to find out about Christianity. Others will start to work with Junction 42 on our “Work Out” employability programme when they come out of prison. About a third will go on to find employment.

You can read more about how I started working part time for Junction 42 in this blog post.

The exhibition continues until 21st October.

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Portrait Painting

Sarah has found painting and writing poetry a way of raising awareness of her illness. I’ve had the privilege of giving Sarah some drawing lessons to help her develop her growing skills in this area. Earlier this year I asked Sarah if she would like to sit for me to have her portrait painted so that I could play my part in helping folk understand more about encephalitis. The portrait was painted in oils over three sittings using a sight size method. I’ve used a very limited palette of only 4 colours using Old Holland Paints. For those wishing to try oil painting here is an excellent independant blog post reviewing many different brands.

We decided together that Sarah would wear her laboratory coat as a reminder of her training as a chemist and that we would keep the background stark and clinical as a reference to her illness and treatment.

I asked Sarah to write a few words about her story so that we can try to understand what it must be like for her. As it’s World Encephalitis Day 22nd, the Millennium Bridge is going to be lit red. I’ll be joining Sarah and her mum at 7pm as they hand out flyers.

Sadly, since writing this blog post, Sarah died in 2020 from her illness.

Behind the Smile by Sarah Galloway

A picture says a thousand words, though a thousand words may be insufficient to paint the picture of my story. I’ll try sticking to roughly five hundred instead.

I am 26, a chemist by training though dabbling in art myself as a trade. This portrait was painted after four years of serious illness. Four years of psychotic episodes, spontaneous self-harm and memory loss. Four years of utter hell.

So what’s the problem? A portrait seems quite fitting for this as it is quite literally all in my head. My body has been attacking parts of my brain causing it to swell. This is known as encephalitis.

Memory Loss

At 22 I found myself lost and utterly undone. It is hard to go into detail about the events of that time, partly because I genuinely don’t remember, and partly because it is simply too shocking to want to think about. Let’s agree on one thing…psychosis sucks. It is a thief that drags away your security, identity and stability and leaves you hollow, confused and empty.

I have spent the last four years battling hallucinations and dramatic emotional outbursts. I have seen and felt spider’s legs on my torso, worms in my mouth and teeth on my neck. My sequencing became so bad that I would shower with my clothes on by accident. Socially I was unable to focus or remember what people were saying. It has been frightening and frustrating.

I was incredibly moved when Alan asked to paint this portrait. Raising awareness about encephalitis has been my main motivation this year and it was amazing to see this shared by a friend.

As I was part way through a relapse and also experiencing nerve pain down one leg I found it very challenging to sit still for the actual painting itself. Holding a smile is also quite difficult!

An Invisible Illness

The smile was deliberate. Encephalitis can be like having an invisible illness. Most of the time, to most people, I can seem perfectly normal. My natural setting is a smile and it has sometimes become like a mask. Encephalitis can be very personal and painful to talk about so it is better to deflect then have to delve into it all with everyone.

Some people however have been complete rocks in my life. My family and my closest friends have been sources of comfort and confidence. My faith has been another stable place in which I can stand against encephalitis. For these I am eternally grateful.

The more people that know about it the easier it will be to find and fight this disease! Encephalitis is happening all the time. I, like many others, was misdiagnosed at first. My recovery is based on a fortunate research trial. The right treatment at the right time can literally save a life.

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I first started painting on gold leaf in 2009 when I was working on a large painting commission. As part of the project I worked on some small boards about 19″x 15″ which were primed with gold leaf. I used these to produce some experimental paintings, one of which was a portrait of my wife Susan. The whole experience was challenging but very rewarding. Difficulties can arise in trying to get the right colours when the gold comes through the initial coat of paint. You have to build up the tonal values and colours to balance them against the gold. This can take time.

Painting on gold leaf creates effects which can change quite dramatically depending on the lighting. This can bring an almost 3D quality to the painting, especially when viewed with a spotlight.

In the oil painting of “Buckingham Palace from Green Park” I decided to use my limited edition print of the same scene as a basis for the idea. However, instead of using a wider range of tones and colours, I chose to use just 6 colours in a flat art deco style, leaving the gold leaf itself as an extra colour for the sky and reflections and highlights in the foreground.

The overall effect is both engaging and dramatic. You get a strong sense of light and warmth coming through from the sky which is emphasised by the shadows being cast by the trees and the lamp post. I’ve stylised the scene to simplify it as there is a lot going on with the leaves, architecture and trees.

Both the Buckingham Palace painting and the portrait of Susan can be seen at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland as part of my Christmas Exhibition which runs until the 24th December 2016.

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There are no short cuts to achieving sound drawing skills. Regular practise at drawing from observation will pay off in most visual disciplines in art, whether it’s painting, sculpture, graphic design or even photography. Before working on a commission or a painting for exhibition I will often warm up for 10 to 20 minutes with a charcoal pencil sketch of a John Singer Sargent portrait. I’ve drawn dozens over the last few years, particularly as I’ve been receiving more portrait commissions.

I’ve recently started to make time lapse videos of my portrait sketches. Now you can see the process on how I draw a face from the start. If you watch the video which is only 24 seconds long, you will see that I draw a faint outline for the shape of the face.

Charcoal Pencil

I then make a mark halfway down to indicate where the eyes are to go. I then make another mark in between the eye line and the chin for the tip of the nose. Finally I do one last guideline for the mouth, usually slightly higher than halfway between the tip of the nose and the chin.

Once these are in place, I then start to draw in with greater care the details for the eyes. I work my way down the face for all the other features. After that, it’s simply a matter of shading in the hair and drawing in the neck and shoulders. You will see that I’m drawing with a charcoal pencil which gives you a lovely dark, rich tone. I’m  also a big fan of the Moleskine sketchbooks which come in a good range of sizes.

Time lapse videos are quite easy to do. It’s a great way to show folk the drawing process without it taking up too much time.

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I will often start my painting days with a warming up exercise. My usual practise is one or two portrait sketches of John Singer Sargent portraits in my Moleskine sketchbook.

Last year I did a few time lapse videos of these portrait sketches to show the process of these simple studies. I start off with the outline of the head. Halfway down I start to draw the eyes. One these are in place, halfway between the eyes and the chin I’ll make some marks to indicate the tip of the nose. Slightly above the halfway mark between the nose and the chin is the mouth.

All these distances are only guidelines for doing portrait sketches. To get a good likeness you have to be really accurate with your proportions, shapes and mark making. Like any craft or skill, regular practise in necessary to become competent.

I’ve been teaching these principles to prisoners in some of the regions prisons for the North East Charity Junction 42. Many of the prisoners will tell me that they can’t draw. However, after following these guidelines, they surprise themselves with some remarkably accurate portraits. Many of them will ask for photocopies of what they have done so that they can send them home to show their families.

To find out about commissioning a portrait then visit my website to watch a short video.

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When I have a painting day ahead of me I like to spend a few moments warming up in my Moleskine Sketchbook. The link on this post to Time Lapse Sketches shows my process. Usually, I’ll have a quick flick through my John Singer Sargent books and choose a portrait to draw. I’ll sharpen up a medium to soft charcoal pencil and launch straight into the study.

The idea is simply to warm up, getting my hand to eye coordination up to speed before tackling a more finished painting. It’s more about the journey than the outcome.

I’ve recently started to do some time lapse videos on my iPhone. This is for folk to see the process of making a quick outline of the head before adding the details of the eyes, nose, mouth, hair etc. These videos have been uploaded to YouTube. If you click on the link it will take you to their site. The image above is a still from the time lapse video. The actual real time of the sketch is no more than twenty minutes.

The sketches you can see above are my copies of John Singer Sargent portraits. I drew them in the National Portrait Gallery in London during an exhibition of his portraits of his friends.

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