The Story behind the Family Portrait Paintings Series
During the 2020 UK lockdown, access to portrait sitters and reference became limited. I had completed many self portraits and was looking for a new series to fulfil my creative itch. The Family Portrait Painting series developed following a study of my Mum, and the notion ‘could I paint all the close members of my family’. I knew I wanted them all to be the same size and format, hence the 10 x 12 inch boards.
About 8 -9 paintings in I had the thought that I could group all the images together on a large format panel. I liked the fact that some of the paintings are less finished than others. Sacrificing some likenesses for more interesting paint application and freshness.
This is how I imagine the Family Portrait Painting Series to be grouped:
