To continue my theme of producing members of the British Royal family, I decided to paint one of the much loved and highly respected members The Queen Mum as she is affectionately known. It took quite some time to decide to paint this ladies teeth the way they were, I did have the thought of changing them so they looked white but would not have produced the realism I strive for.
My work is all about trying to capture an image as near to a photograph that I possibly can, I am after all a Realist in many ways so it shows in my artwork. I always paint in oil it just works for me it gives me the perfect color I strive for in my art.
Painting does not come easy it's like every other skill, you go through a process of education and then you must spend time to hone your skills until you are satisfied with the results. Having said that there are not many artists who I know are ever happy with their work, self-criticism is what we all have. You must learn to say it's finished and let other people be the critics.
Why did I decide to create a portrait of the Queen Mother and what did I change when creating her portrait. The Queen Mum was well-loved by many, when I look at people I am trying to capture what they are thinking. The Queen Mother reminds me of my own grandma, that reassuring smile and instinctive facial expression speaks volumes. As stated above I did not change the color of her teeth, I am always looking to be authentic.
I worked from several clear photographs to use as a reference when I decided to paint the Queen Mother, I changed quite a lot, her hat it's color her necklace and earrings. The smile took some work but when I decide to do a painting I spend time composing the image, patience helps, patience is a skill honed while I was working on radio equipment.
Inspiration to paint comes from many quarters, My grandma lived with my family, she was the Mother of my Mother and had a great influence on her children, I read that the Queen Mother was also a leading light in her family and probably advised many of her grandchildren how to be Royal.
When describing what and why I painted the portraits its simply a question of knowledge and the answers I acquire from research and of course public opinion, I engage in conversation very easily with people and simply ask, do you like my paintings, some say yes some say no, no has never been an answer so I dig and find out what they like and why. One lady who had been in the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Gateshead Tyne Wear talked about the Queen Mother and how she met her shortly after world war two, these conversations inspire.
Talking and engaging with ordinary people can and often provides information that no other source can give you. The lady who I spoke to said she had cancer and the Marie Curie cancer fund had given her a great deal of support during her treatment, as a gesture of goodwill I donated a print of the Queen Mother to this cancer fund which they raffled at one of their events. Do not hesitate to comment in the box below about my paintings, what paintings do you like?
More info: johnallsopp.blogspot.com
Queen Mother Oil Portrait
