No. 1249

During the early 90s, Rwanda experienced a dreadful civil war that separated and orphaned hundreds of thousands of young children. A photojournalist who was covering the situation in the country, found himself compelled to take photos of all these separated children and pin them up on community notice boards in the hope of tracking down a relative. As many of the children were too young to know their own name or too traumatised to speak, the photographer had them hold a sign which displayed a number for prospective family members to identify them by. The scheme was so successful that up to 80% of children were reunited with a family member, and this process of reunification is still used today by some of the world's most influential humanitarian agencies. The photojournalist quit his job and now works in humanitarian aid where he photographed 21 000 children in his first year.

- Oil on canvas - 

Trying a new style

I've been trying out a new style lately in art classes which is more similar in style to one of my favourite artists, Robert Hannaford. He uses a really wide variety of colours in his palette which are not necessarily obvious for a portrait, such as bold reds and yellow. I also didn't mix any colours on the palette, just applying them in thick strokes straight to the canvas. Both of these paitings have been done in oil which is my preferred medium to paint with and makes it easier to layer colours so that your eye blends them instead of the paint brush. My plan now is to try doing a series of these to get used to the technique. Each painting seems to take about 3 hours which is actually quicker than my pencil portraits which can take 5-6 hours!! 



Three generations

Mother



Granddaughter



Daughter





I recently completed this lovely series of three generations of women in the one family. When drawing portraits you become so intimately familiar with the physiology of each face down to the tiniest lines and smallest veins, so when drawing a family it becomes quickly evident the genetic similarities between each member. I really enjoyed this commission with the process of capturing enough likeness to symbolise familial connection but enough difference to make each individual unique. It's also interesting to see how the fashions and hairstyles change with each generation.

Celebrating a milestone

Here's a recent picture I did for the 1st birthday of some sweet twin girls in America. Their mum ordered a commission in time for their party as a gift they could look back on in years to come. I've done a few portraits now for 1st birthdays which have made for a really personal gift and standout amongst the amount of toys the birthday girl or boy receives. It's certainly getting harder and harder to choose gifts for young children when most of us have the privilege of buying our children whatever they need, whenever they need. While a portrait might not be a child's most favourite gift while they are young, it is sure to last longer than most presents they will receive, with their appreciation for the artwork growing with them. Below is a picture of my beautiful God Son Jamieson critiquing the portrait he received for his 1st birthday.  

Some new faces

Joanne

Kate

To mum on mother's day

Mother’s Day is one of my most favourite days of the year. I’m not a mother yet, but I am fortunate enough to have an amazing mother to celebrate this special day with. My mum is a true inspiration and one of my closest friends. She has an admirable “know no limits” attitude and once said that if she ever got a tattoo it would be on the day she received a black belt in karate (she has a brown belt) and it would be the Japanese word for persistence. That’s my mum. So, for Mother’s Day this year I decided to do some portraits for her. The series included myself at the age of 2, my mum at the age of 1 and my brother at the age of 1. It took about 12 hours to create the finished piece as each portrait is only the size of a standard photo and the smaller the portrait, the harder it is to draw. I actually pulled all my neck and back muscles from bending over for so long! Mum really like it and it brought back some wonderful memories of our childhoods. She deserves so much more, but hopefully this is a small token of my appreciation of everything she’s done for me. Thanks mum!

Meet my hero Tripp

I think it's fair to say that babies are pretty remarkable. Despite their tiny size, they are just full of personality and wonderment and seem so perfect in every way. Well, a few months ago, I stumbled across a blog which journals the life of young Tripp Roth. Just like every baby he was blessed with beautiful features, a charming little personality, a cheeky smile and the cutest attitude!!! Tripp also came into this world with a rare genetic condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa which causes his skin (both internally and externally) to blister and slide away with even the slightest bump or friction. It’s very painful and requires Tripp to stay well bandaged to protect his fragile skin. Despite this, Tripp has thrived and blossomed into a beautiful individual who laughs, smiles and dances. He’s an amazing fighter and a true reflection of the human spirit’s ability to endure adversity. Tripp also has another special talent; he seems to bring out the best in everyone who meets him or hears about him. Reading over his blog it quickly becomes evident how Tripp’s story inspires such generosity in people. In my line of work I’ve met many psychologists, social workers, motivational speakers, humanitarian aid workers and special education teachers with years of experience behind them, but none have been able to inspire the generosity in people that Tripp has – and he’s not even 2 yet!!!  Thankyou Tripp for your special gift in bringing out our best!