Pastel
29 x 35 cm
2004

This commissioned portrait was painted as a surprise gift for the subject to be presented to her at her work place by her colleagues so, unusually for me, it was made entirely from one small snapshot with no opportunity to meet the 'sitter' in person.

The commissioner however described Shirley with great admiration and from his words and from what I could see in the photo I could tell that she is a warm person who inspires affection from those who meet her.  I hope I brought this out in the painting.

I am pleased to say my client was thrilled with the final result, despite the tremendous challenge it presented to me!  You can see how this painting grew in the demonstrations section of this site.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

To find out about commissioning your own portrait please return to the portraits page.