Black on Grey on White

Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life. - Sophocles

"Grégoire" Pencil on Paper. 18x24 cm Sold Sheona Hamilton-Grant. 2010. All rights reserved. Two weeks ago I was in Brussels delivering these golden curls and receiving a mother's seal of approval. Child portraits are something so delicate and mesmerizing to create. I was on tender hooks throughout the entire portrait. Drawing the soft pure and innocent features of a child requires accuracy and very high concentration. Well, I felt that's what I wanted to give this gorgeous wee chap. Gregoire (French for Gregory )has just turned two. He's a wee boy with bundles of energy and sunshine smiles. Being the youngest of three boys he is not into being left behind... Emphisizing his sunny nature and energy were crucial to the success of this portrait. Through this pose, a summer feeling of energy and fun was created and his surfer curls subtly emphasised. Having him look away from the viewer adds a certain sense of movement and his eagerness to "get on". I was r

Ascot is a rare view: the result of my tackling colour. He is drawn in graphite with a touch of coloured pencil and watercolour. Gayle Mason's ( Fur in the Paint ) explanatory post has been a tremendous help. Her post on drawing cat eyes put me on the right track and it went from there. Gayle is not only a real expert at rendering, beautifully, animals in mixed media but is also very generous in explaining her process. Digging in my heels and "just" going for it with lots of trial and many errors have been "what it took" . I'm happy with the (almost)final result, the colours are discreetly present, there is depth and the portrait is faithful to my style. (I will put the portrait out sight for a few days and only then bring it back out to make any adjustments and tweaks before signing, spraying and framing.) I only hope I have trialed and "errored" enough to be able to do another: Joris (Ascot's brother) has also been commissioned...