The period building up to Christmas has had many highs, lows, confusion, frustrations and difficulties for most people and they’ve affected us too even though we’ve not suffered badly like so many we see or hear of in the media. As always, the blame game continues and it is difficult to gauge exactly where the truth lies on so many issues. The Covid 19 Pandemic, the American election, and once again Brexit, have dominated the lead stories and headlines on television, radio and social media. Some of us are closely affected by the pandemic directly or from its knock on effects. We’ve come to the conclusion in our household that we must do what we believe is right for ourselves, close family and friends and make our own safety decisions, yet do our best for those we know who are in need of help. I’ve sold some paintings as planned and am donating all proceeds to the NHS Covid Appeal at Guys and St Thomas’s. Two payments were made to the hospital on the 9th and 26th December and each time I’ve received a very grateful letter of thanks in reply. I will carry on with this modest fund raising for the foreseeable future in the hope that the approved vaccines will gradually eradicate the virus and its mutations.
I will be starting two commissions in the first weeks of the new year but, in the meantime, BBC TV and the Sky Arts Channel have been providing information, support and encouragement to artists while we are still being told to stay at home. Art is enormously therapeutic and fulfilling during isolation. Programmes on Leonardo Da Vinci, Vermeer, Artemisia Gentileschi, Munch/Tracy Emin, Van Gogh, Portrait Artist of the Week, Portrait Artist of the Year, and The Joy of Painting by Bob Ross, have all attracted interest and given pleasure and entertainment to many of us. I’m greatly inspired by the talent of young people and will always feel that ” I’m good enough to know that I was not going to be good enough” (Ian Dury) when I see how many wonderful young artists are emerging today. Here is just one example of really exceptional painting ability:
This is a truly remarkable photo-realistic work by a young artist, Laura Quinn Harris, who took part in the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2014 Competition, as one of the finalists and, in my opinion, the outstanding artist of that series. The work shown is featured in a book “Portraits for NHS Heroes” where all royalties are being paid to NHS Charities Together. Her technique displayed in the flesh painting, facial detail and uniform is absolutely amazing; the small scale of the portrait with such intricate detail is also stunning. This phenomenal young artist first caught my attention with her portraits of Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Kiri te Kanawa in the final rounds of the competition and I subsequently saw the latter on a visit to the National Portrait Gallery which is shown below:-
Laura is just one of the thousands of young artists around at the moment who are leading the way and are genuine role models for all other aspiring artists. Her tremendous technique gives me real hope that in future the art world will acknowledge this kind of talent and creativity rather than focus on some of the mediocre high earning establishment art superstars promoted by our celebrity obsessed media and social media. Unsurprisingly, the quality of Laura’s painting is now being more widely recognised and she has been successful in many projects and exhibitions since she first attracted public attention.
Finally I would like to thank all those who have supported my own effort to raise money for the NHS and hope that people will still purchase paintings for this worthy cause as we are currently being told that the strain on NHS resources is dramatically increasing again.