On the 9th September 2015 a project was finally unveiled which I had been working on for two years. The artwork depicts a selection of portraits of various people. They are all are either past, present or future members of City Church Newcastle which Susan and I have been a part of since 1993. The portraits are hanging in the atrium of the CastleGate building. We bought the building to use as a church in the late nineties and is to reflect the vision of the church.
Sight Size
Most of the portraits have been painted from life over several sittings at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland. Typically, each sitting would last a couple of hours. It has been a mutually enjoyable experience for both myself and the sitter. I’ve also used the process described as Sight Size.
Part of painting someones portrait is not just capturing a good likeness. It’s also about bringing out something of the persons personality and character. That comes from spending time in conversation with the sitter, getting to know them and bringing out an expression or “look” that is typically them.
I find that over the course of a two hour sitting, the light will often change casting either a shadow over part of the face or a highlight on another part. When painted, that change really helps to describe something about that person. This has always been my aim since investing a huge amount of time in studying portraiture over the last four years. It’s not just about developing a good, sound painting technique in oils. It’s producing a piece of art which people can really connect with, whether they know the person or not. I find that when I’m studying John Singer Sargent’s portraits, I’m really captivated, not just by the painting but the subject too. I somehow feel as though I’d like to meet them.
If you would like to Commission a Portrait then visit the CastleGate to take a look at the portraits. They have been painted in oils on aluminium panels.
To find out more about the process of commissioning a portrait visit my website or Studio & Gallery in Ponteland.