Mary Beard

9x12" oil and charcoal pencil on gessoed board

Mary Beard sat for the final episode of the SkyTV Portrait Artist of the Week on Sunday. It was a challenging weekly project and I'm sorry to see it end, but onto other sources. : ) 

For this painting, I gessoed the back of a sketchbook cover (hence the perforations), and drew with charcoal pencil to start. I added her pearl necklace because for portraits, I find, it's nice to include the model's personal choices. 

myPAOTW - Will Young

8x8" original oil painting on panel.

Here's my oil painting of Will Young for this week's Portrait Artist of the Week Challenge. It was just awesome painting along with the SkyTV live stream. Artist Christian Hook was this week's painter and the conversation between these two was riveting - and funny. 

It was the first time I painted a portrait from the computer screen, as the subject talked (and moved a bit). 'Getting to know' Will, as he spoke about his life, must have influenced my painting of him - certainly different than painting from a photo. I did not use Christian's technique, I painted as I do, but watching his piece progress was very educational. 

The live weekly challenge is on the SkyTV facebook page every Sunday morning. Then it replays all week. Cheers.: )

my PAOTW - Rankin

click here to purchase - 

$100 - 8x10" original watercolour painting on paper. 

Here's my contribution to week 3 of the skyTV Portrait Artist of the Week Challenge. I tried to capture the lovely smile of the photographer Rankin. It was so nice to get back to watercolours. Hmm... jumping back and forth between oil and watercolour enhances my skill at both but, at the end of the day my first love, watercolour, will always be my preferred medium!