Begun at Angel.  After completing our Bargues, (you can search for what this means, if you would like to) we were allowed to join an untutored* Portrait evening as long as we each sat for the class for 3 sessions.  That is 3 session of 2 hours each week, with breaks, which come after 6+ hours on our feet in the studio.  Sounds good, but keeping still is pretty hard work.  Brian was perhaps a bit impatient to get back to his work – the pose was so typical of him and expressive and I knew I would want to make a finished painting the type of which is simply not possible within a total of 6 hours.  So I took the best photograph I could and over the years often looked at the painting knowing eventually it would be finished.  When that time just occurred (out of the blue) in 2020 it was wonderful to continue.  I wonder if I had to wait until I felt I had more experience.  Whatever it was, The Royal Society of Portrait Painters liked it as it was selected for their 2022 show.

*I must add here that Jered Wozicki very kindly would stay and give us each some of his superb advice and guidance.

Oil on canvas  2022  42 x 38cm  17 x 15 inches