Portrait of The Portrait of Carlotta

One of the reasons I love my work so much, is that I'm never quite sure what I'll be painting next and the current project is definitely different from the norm.  

A very nice client has sprung a really unusual commission on me;  it's the first time I've been asked to paint a portrait inspired by another portrait.  Not only that, the subject is not a real person, but a character from a film;  Vertigo a 1950s film starring James Stewart alongside Kim Novak and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

 Here is a loose painted sketch I've made to begin the process.  It's going to be a tiny piece, ACEO size 2.5 x 3.5 inches.  I'm working in acrylics on thick mount board.  Eventually I hope to add as much detail as possible, given the obvious size constraints and will update the blog with a number of 'work in progress' images as it takes shape.  Should be fun :)  

 Update:  Work in progress image 2.

 Image 2 shows progress after more layers have been added to the background.  Also I've begun work on the dress, which will be very interesting to paint and eventually I'd like to achieve the effect of shot-silk brocade fabric if possible.  A long way to go.

I've left the face, bouquet and jewellery almost untouched, as I'm leaving those elements almost to the last.  They will be such fun to paint and I like to give myself a final special treat.

 Update:  Work in progress image 3.

During this session I tried to develop the appearance of lace around the neckline with a hint of gold, and added highlights and texture to the fabric, with pretty pink roses surrounded by white lace in the bouquet.

I am looking forward to adding detail to the face and jewelry during the next session.

 Update:  Work in progress image 4.


Carlotta now has a face.

The final version of this painting can be seen HERE.

German Shepherd and Jack Russell custom portrait painting

This pet portrait has been commissioned as a birthday present for the joint owner. Several seperate photos have been supplied by email and I have printed them out and selected the ones I feel will work best if I group the 'chums' as if sitting together. The German Shepherd has a wonderful noble demeaner and the Jack Russell appears to be laughing.


I'm using a 10x12 inch stretched canvas and began by making a drawing in pencil. If you would like to see progress of this painting, you're welcome to come back and take another look as work progresses over the next few days.


In session 2 I began by loosely adding a light wash to both animals. I then roughly blocked in a background. The colour of the background, as with everything else, will evolve as the painting progresses.


Session 3: Beginning to add more layers. Long way to go.

Session 4: More layers added and starting to gradually build up colour depth and detail.


Session 5: Worked on the German Shepherd and background, adding depth and shadows. In case you're wondering about the spooky 'blank' eyes..... painting eyes is my favourite part of a portrait project and I like to leave them as a treat for myself as long as possible. I feel it's time for the eyes will get some attention during the next session.

Session 6: More layers ... and today we have eyes!


Session 7: Worked on adding detail and texture to the German Shepherd. Lots of work to do on the little Jack Russell next time.


Session 8: Added shading and texture to the Jack Russell and cleaned up her profile. More detail on the German Shepherd also, softening some of the fur texture and adding detail overall. Before I go any further, now is a good time to get feedback from the client, so that any amendments can be made before fine detail added.


Session 9: Lots of progress and changes on the Jack Russell. In consultation with the client it was agreed to bring the ears forward and she does look so much better as a result. More layers and refining.

Algonquin Park Canada original painting

Algonquin Park must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. When a client recently commissioned me to paint this landscape, I jumped at the chance. It seemed a tall order at first, as I have never been to Canada, but then I haven't met all of the people whose portrait I paint either, so I decided to accept the challenge.

On this occasion the client did not have a particular photograph for me to work from, but she did know very precisely what she wanted featured; a canoe, the Algonquin sign and trees.

I then had a fabulous time becoming familiar with how the forest and lakes look, helped enormously by Ray Mears Northern Wilderness BBC TV program. For those of you interested in the painting process, here are a few 'work in progress' images.

Landscape painting - Work in Progress

Paint on canvas

In the interests of creating some kind of normality I needed to put paint on canvas today. It didn't really matter what I did exactly, as long as I did it. This huge canvas is a bit ambitious ... but in for a penny, in for a pound ;)

Day 1: It's looking like a landscape, probably because that's where it's coming from. I hope I can make it develop along the abstract lines I have in mind.

Painterly fix

My yarn twiddling sabbatical has had it's usual effect and I'm now itching to pick up a paintbrush again. But there's way too much to do now and it will have to wait until I get back from England in the New Year.

In the meantime, here's a painterly fix from Trevor Lingard. Trevor, a countryman of mine, contacted me recently. He's got a new blog which is developing very nicely, and I especially enjoyed this watercolour demo featuring St Mark's Square, Venice.

FAMILY 1008 abstract figurative painting

FAMILY 1008
38" x 28" (97 x 71 cm)
Acrylic & oil on canvas

I put the 'blue madonna' on temporary hold, whilst I concentrated on another new abstract figurative piece. Here are some 'work in progress' images together with the completed painting.



When starting, in my mind I had a young family I know and love very well. As with all my recent work I then just let the painting happen. I wanted it to have a similar mood to the recent 'Lean on Me' pastel painting, which unusually for me had softer colours than I normally use. I'm enjoying the muted colouring and will try to take this further when I develop the 'blue madonna'.


Checked my emails and discovered that interior design consultant, Cynthia Thomas, has featured some of my work on her superb blog Serenity in Design.

FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT PAINTING work in progress 2

I tried to resist, but a Blue Madonna seems determined to get herself painted, so I've given in. I seem to have a fixation with the image of mother and child. It goes back a long way so I shouldn't be too surprised. More progress next time.


This got me thinking about other mother and child images I've made. And I remembered this needlecraft design that was probably my first, and designed many years ago. Whadayaknow .... it's BLUE!

Cross stitch kit available from Amathusia Designs.

FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT PAINTING work in progress 1

After a few days of making speedy small format drawings, today I began a large abstract painting on gallery wrapped canvas, which will take several days. It's good to be back to wet pigment and especially on such a large scale, 40x40 inches (100x100cm).

To me already it seems to be going in a particular figurative direction, which I'm doing my best to resist. We'll see. It will take as long as it takes, evolving as it goes.

If you want to follow progress, you can call in again as normal or subscribe to my blog.

FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT PAINTING work in progress 4

Just in case you thought I'd been idle, here is the current painting a little further along. Further progress next week.

A Happy 4th July to all my US blog friends.

FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT PAINTING work in progress 3

Full marks to you for perseverance. Slow progress on my part. We have a heatwave just now and work is suffering :(

FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT PAINTING work in progress 2

Next session I'll continue loosely blocking in the different basic elements.

FIGURATIVE ABSTRACT PAINTING work in progress 1

If you want to follow the progress of this painting, you are going to need a little patience and perseverance, as it's going to take a few days.

It was inspired by an evening I spent with friends in old Limassol town a few weeks ago. One friend who's a teacher took us along to see an exhibition of her school's A Level Art work at the Morphi Gallery. All those beautiful young people with so much talent and so seemingly unaware of how blessed they are to be at the beginning of the adventure. I was so impressed and so envious ... left me depressed for days!

In this first work in progress image I've begun to lay down the structure/architecture on the 28 x 20 inch canvas.

ABSTRACT 62308 original mixed media painting on canvas.

ABSTRACT 62308

Mixed media on canvas

7 x 9.5 ins approx (18 x 24 cms)

This painting was meant to be the first in a group of 4 started last week. But I needed to wait for new canvases.

As you can see they begin life very differently to how they are likely to look in the end.

BLUE ABSTRACT 61806 Work in progress

A blue mood today and another abstract. This is on a really chunky deep-sided 8 inch square box canvas. I began the background with layers of blue acrylic paint and added small square motifs using textured medium. Whilst it was drying I gave one of my handpainted tiles it's first layer of paint ... deep Indanthrene Blue. I'll complete it in the next session.

Paint & Clay - Original mixed media painting on canvas

The studio is in total chaos just now, with hardly a square inch of useable surface left ... but I'm on a roll so tidying up with have to wait.

I've been playing with clay and now have lots of small tiles, which I plan to use collectively or individually in mixed media paintings. The pic shows them in their naked unpainted state. Many of them will get altered out of all recognition, but I do like the way some of them look now and have chosen four of the more simple ones to use for a 4 canvas minimal contemporary piece.

I've started on 3 of them, then realised that I must have got the fourth from a different supplier because the weave of the canvas is slightly different. So it's off to town this week for more of the same.

Long-haired Dachshund - portrait painting work in progress 4

Still a ways to go. In the next session I will sort out the background and then I can begin pulling it all together.

Long-haired Dachhund - Portrait painting work in progress 3

Long-haired Dachshund - Portrait painting, work in progress 2.

In this second session, I went a bit further with establishing the tones, but still not far enough. I normally leave eye detail until quite near the end, but I became fascinated with Ambrosius expression and couldn't stop. More warm colour and contrast to be added to his coat etc next time.

Long-haired Dachshund - Portrait Commission. Work in progress 1.

Meet Ambrosius; he's a much loved long-haired Dachshund and his portrait has been commissioned as a gift for a member of his family.

Originally the portrait was to be head and shoulders, but I realised on this 12 x 12in canvas, that without anything else to relate to, the scale gave the impression that Ambrosius was a BIG dog. I really felt the need to show all of him, particularly those characteristic little legs. Fortunately the client agreed.

Apparently, Ambrosious has a 'cheeky' personality, so chose this composition where his face is pushing forward and his body recedes.

Regular visitors will recognise the first stages of the process, where I roughly block in the background and loosely fix what goes where. In the next session I'll begin to add layers as I develop the palette and tonal values. A long way to go.