Portrait Showcase 2023
Members of the Monday evening Portrait Group are presenting here a selection of their portraits
Annabel Maamoun
Chris Ridsdale
Fiona Coulson
David Whiting
Jo Sykes
Judith Bleazard
Linda Downs
Nigel Proud
Carol Wood
Renee Wild
Shirley Waddington
Mary McKenzie
Richard Roads
Gilly Markham
Fawzi Ebrahim
Caro Ward
Almost all of the above portrait pictures have been completed within the 2 hour session on a Monday evening. Just a few have been started there and completed later at home.
Statements by four members whose work is shown here
I find the group very inspiring - there are some amazing artists, and it's great to meet and have a chat with like minded artists. Even though I can't attend every week, I am always made to feel welcome.
When I attend Portrait group I find it easier to use pencils because they are easier to carry - no setting up with pastels etc.
I get a lot of satisfaction when I achieve a good likeness and this spurs me on to do more. However, I always go through a stage where it doesn't look right, but hopefully it comes good when I add more detail.
It's always a challenge when you arrive because you never know what the sitter will be wearing - hats can be fun.'
Nigel Proud
I think portraiture is quite a demanding discipline, not only does one have to produce a likeness but one has to try a capture some of the character of the sitter as well.
Chris Ridsdale
Portrait painting has never been my favourite genre so has been limited to just family portraits, always done in pastel. I like the way it can be blended to create skin tones in particular, so usually the few portraits I did were in pastel.
However, since attending Portrait Group more regularly I have been impressed by the way others use various media, particularly Carol’s use of acrylics, so decided to give it a go!
My three examples are
1) – Sam in pastel, which I finished quickly so tried again
in (2) charcoal and white pastel, good for tonal values
and (3) my first attempt at a painted portrait, using acrylics
and at a table next to Carol for guidance, for which I am very grateful. I am very pleased with the end product, and will try again and hopefully find a better way to paint details, such as eye brows.
Shirley Waddington
Firstly, I really enjoy our portrait group as it is a very friendly bunch and we often have a good laugh, but also everyone is so encouraging and positive about each other’s efforts. It can be very challenging working from a live sitter rather than a photograph but it really helps to develop our observational skills.
For a long time I have had an interest in creating portraits as I find the landscape of the face fascinating and I am particularly interested in the slight differences that give such varied expression and can say so much about the person and what they are feeling and thinking.
For quite some time I have focused on trying to improve my ability to capture features correctly and have also experimented with using different media to see what different effects I can get. I have kept photographs of all my efforts and it is encouraging to see how I have improved over time. Over the last year I have particularly focused on using graphite, a simple medium that I find so expressive, but in this new year I am experimenting again! Inspired by Carol I have started using pen and, later in the year, I want to go forward in other media after I have learnt a bit more about the face from different angles and perspectives, and more work on different expressions.
Jo Sykes
When I attend Portrait group I find it easier to use pencils because they are easier to carry - no setting up with pastels etc.
I get a lot of satisfaction when I achieve a good likeness and this spurs me on to do more. However, I always go through a stage where it doesn't look right, but hopefully it comes good when I add more detail.
It's always a challenge when you arrive because you never know what the sitter will be wearing - hats can be fun.'
Nigel Proud
I think portraiture is quite a demanding discipline, not only does one have to produce a likeness but one has to try a capture some of the character of the sitter as well.
Chris Ridsdale
Portrait painting has never been my favourite genre so has been limited to just family portraits, always done in pastel. I like the way it can be blended to create skin tones in particular, so usually the few portraits I did were in pastel.
However, since attending Portrait Group more regularly I have been impressed by the way others use various media, particularly Carol’s use of acrylics, so decided to give it a go!
My three examples are
1) – Sam in pastel, which I finished quickly so tried again
in (2) charcoal and white pastel, good for tonal values
and (3) my first attempt at a painted portrait, using acrylics
and at a table next to Carol for guidance, for which I am very grateful. I am very pleased with the end product, and will try again and hopefully find a better way to paint details, such as eye brows.
Shirley Waddington
Firstly, I really enjoy our portrait group as it is a very friendly bunch and we often have a good laugh, but also everyone is so encouraging and positive about each other’s efforts. It can be very challenging working from a live sitter rather than a photograph but it really helps to develop our observational skills.
For a long time I have had an interest in creating portraits as I find the landscape of the face fascinating and I am particularly interested in the slight differences that give such varied expression and can say so much about the person and what they are feeling and thinking.
For quite some time I have focused on trying to improve my ability to capture features correctly and have also experimented with using different media to see what different effects I can get. I have kept photographs of all my efforts and it is encouraging to see how I have improved over time. Over the last year I have particularly focused on using graphite, a simple medium that I find so expressive, but in this new year I am experimenting again! Inspired by Carol I have started using pen and, later in the year, I want to go forward in other media after I have learnt a bit more about the face from different angles and perspectives, and more work on different expressions.
Jo Sykes