Emily

oil on canvasboard, 11" x 14"

One of my favorite shows to watch is the BBC's Portrait Artist of the Year.  I decided to paint one of the sitters as an exercise.  The competition for each portrait is what can be accomplished in four hours.  I spent 3.5 hours on this one.  It could be good practice to do more of these, since many of the sitters are unfamiliar to me.  Emily is an award-winning singer/songwriter based in the U.K.  I thought she had a regal bearing and I liked the three-quarter angle.  Updated 5/29/2025:  I changed the background a wee bit with an overlay of lavender.  

No One Compares 2 U

oil on canvas paper, 12" x 12"

Upon hearing of the death of Sinead O'Connor at the young age of 56, I was moved to paint her portrait, as she was such a uniquely powerful singer, songwriter and activist.  I thought I would challenge myself by doing this portrait with a palette knife.  It was challenging.