About the Portraits
A selection of portraits from previous commissions
Family Portraits
Portrait of Aira
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....happiness in a gentle smile....eyes that light up and twinkle with happiness....lovely even features....wonderful smooth skin that is almost translucent....dark brown eyes echoing dark brown hair....a three-quarter angle which suggests a sense of three-dimensions....
Portrait of Bryce
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....a happy smiling face....eyes that twinkle with happiness....wonderful even features....remarkable smooth skin that is almost translucent....wonderfully tanned skin speaking of sunshine and holidays....bright blue eyes that echo a bright blue T-shirt....soft folds in the T-shirt....the three-dimensions of dark blue beading around the edges....a yellow collar and pattern echoing the yellows in the background....a background suggesting an exotic holiday spot....a soft focus background saying distance when contrasted with an in focus head and hair....blonde hair with highlights that say sunshine....thrown right into the foreground by a darker background....the sea in many shades of blue....palm trees in many shades of green....
Portrait for Gemma of her boyfriend
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....striking features caught by winter evening sun....the dramatic contrast there between sunlight and shadow....three contemplative faces....the animals gently encircled by their owner....the dramatic contrast between light and shade on the black coat and red hand shields throwing up bold abstract shapes of light and dark ....a vehicle light switched on suggesting dusk.... the snow and warm coat suggesting winter weather....a soft focus background and in focus foreground giving the image a sense of space....a smart and shining quad bike....a red label on the hat at the top of the image balancing with and echoing the red of the quad bike at the bottom....
Portrait of Bronwen
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....a gentle smile saying happiness....twinkling eyes saying happiness....lovely even features....strikingly smooth skin that is almost translucent....beauty in the symmetry of a face looking straight at the viewer....sunlight on one side and reflected light on the other emphasising symmetry....dark brown eyes echoing dark brown hair....dark brown hair framing the face completely....hair falling around the shoulders almost moving....a lovely pink and white blouse echoing skin colour and highlights....the green of the blouse making loveliness complete....
Portrait of my parents
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....doubt in being able to get a likeness due to their familiarity to me and a desire to do so despite it....smiles saying happiness....eyes that twinkle with happiness....beauty in lined faces that speak of great character....a pose that says love and togetherness....a white blouse echoing a white shirt....colours in a jumper and tie echoing colours in the faces....brown eyes echoing brown hair....
Portrait of a baby
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....an open mouth shrieking with delight that can almost be heard....eyes that light up and twinkle with happiness....lovely long eyelashes that curl outwards....beauty in even features....amazing smooth skin that is almost translucent....dark brown eyes echoing dark brown hair....a three-quarter angle which suggests a sense of three-dimensions....
Portrait of Chloe
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....a wide smile saying happiness....absolutely perfect teeth....pale blue eyes that light up and twinkle with happiness....a touch of make-up enhancing the eyes....lovely even features....wonderful smooth skin that is almost translucent....beauty in long hair that tumbles around the shoulders almost moving....exquisite silver and diamante necklaces....a black top a perfect anchor for head neck and hair....
Portrait of Bleiddian
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....a happy smile....happy twinkling eyes....wonderful even features....fantastic smooth skin that is almost translucent....beauty in the symmetry of a face looking straight at the viewer....lighting from the front emphasising symmetry....dark brown eyes echoing dark brown hair....
Portrait of Rae-anna
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....a quiet smile saying happiness....eyes that twinkle with happiness....lovely even features....amazingly smooth skin that is almost translucent....beautiful plaited red hair....tendrils escaping almost moving....dark brown eyes a focal point....
Pet Portraits
Dora
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....the most beautiful creature....a perfect example of the Golden Retriever breed of dog....the wonderful soft curly coat....the amazingly intense expression on the face....the soft and smart red coat with a blue trim....a breathtaking landscape with an array of hills fields trees hedges and a pond....the magical snow transforming the landscape with its blanket of white....
Misty and Barney
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....the astonishing beauty of the horses....the exquisite markings....the wonderful soft manes....eyes that twinkle....the lovely colourings....all of the delightful distinctive features that shape a horse....the shapes of heads necks manes ears eyes mouths and nostrils....the challenge of putting the horses side by side from two separate reference photographs....
Mausey
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....the sheer beauty of the cat....all of the delightful distinctive features that shape a cat....the shape of head eyes ears mouth nose whiskers body legs paws and tail....the magnificent markings....the wonderful colours....the short fur so descriptive following all of the contours....a perfect example of an Egyptian Mau cat
George
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....the arresting beauty of the dog....the glorious glossy black coat....the magnificent black fawn and white pattern....the fur descriptive following all of the contours....the wonderful distinctive features that shape a dog....the shape of head snout eyes ears nose mouth whiskers bib and shoulders....the appealing expresson in his eyes....
Ballet
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....a horse of astounding beauty....the gorgeous glossy coat....the lovely long soft mane....the colour of the coat and mane wonderful together....eyes that twinkle....the glorious distinctive features that shape a horse....the head neck mane ears eyes mouth and nostrils....a perfect example of the Cleveland Bay breed....
Mickey and Bryn
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....the irresistible beauty of the dogs....a wonderful pose that says togetherness....a distinctive glossy short haired coat....the attractive distinctive markings....a distinctive long soft curly haired coat....eyes that twinkle....expressive faces saying character....the delightful distinctive features that shape a dog....the heads snouts eyes ears noses mouths whiskers and bodies....perfect examples of the Jack Russell Terrier breed....
House Portraits
Rowan House
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....the magnificent distinctive shape of a Georgian terraced house....the subtle shades of red of the old bricks....the beautiful distinctive shapes of the sash windows with the upstairs windows catching the sun....a handsome front door....a wonderful Rowan tree....a lovely garden with flowers, lawn and hedge....Boston Ivy covering the entire ground floor front wall....an archway leading to the back of the terrace....
Gwernogle Bach
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....beauty in the distinctive shape of a Welsh farmhouse....the additions of an extension windows in the gable end and French windows....the house surrounded by gorgeous gardens and greenery....the textures of a lane around the house....the wonderful river stone that the house is built from in all its shades of grey....the slate roof and brick chimneys....the neat guttering pipe work and fascia boards....the sunshine on the house showing it off perfectly....the clear blue sky of a glorious summers day....
Laurel House
....so many things in this portrait make me want to try to paint them....an exquisite decorative yet distinctive Georgian terraced house....wonderful colour washed walls....stunning arch shaped upstairs windows....an arch shaped front door echoing them with rich shiny brass fittings....smart and decorative black railings echoing the front door....beautiful window boxes with geraniums and aubrietia....a delightful hydrangea in a pot....a lovely view straight through to the French windows and back garden....