Public Portrait

A week–long residency in the Victoria Quarter in Leeds

Creating my work in a public space, this project allowed members of the public to see a painting evolve and gain an insight into the processes behind developing a portrait. The project was set inside the Victoria Quarter, where over the course of a week I worked from direct observation, painting the portrait of a life model.

I see the creation of a portrait as being a highly collaborative and intimate experience and through this project I built a strong relationship with my sitter that informed the emerging result.

I selected the painting as my 2008 entry to the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Open exhibition, but unfortunately I was unsuccessful. To see the finished painting click here.

External Links

• The Victoria Quarter Website


• The Royal Society of Portrait Painters


• Read my project blog on a–n

The set–up

Model and painting, second day