BP Portrait Award 2009

The First Prize was awarded to Peter Monkman for Changeling 2, part of a series of portraits of his daughter, Anna, at different stages of her life.

1220 x 900 mm

Monkman was shortlisted for the first time this year, having been included in the BP Portrait Award exhibition in 1999, 2001 and 2003. Currently Director of Art at Charterhouse School, Surrey, Monkman, 44, studied visual arts at the University of Lancaster, John Moores University Liverpool and the University of London. The shortlisted portrait is part of a series of portraits of his daughter exploring the concept of the changeling, a child substituted for another by stealth, often with an elf. ‘I challenge the fixed notion of an idealised image of childhood and substitute it for a more unsettling, complex, representation that exists in its own right as a painting.’ The initial ideas for this portrait came from photographic studies of Anna playing in woods in Brittany where the light had a magical quality.

The Second Prize was awarded to Michael Gaskell for Tom.

270 x 210 mm

Michael Gaskell lives in Sheffield and won Second Prize in the BP Portrait Award previously in 2003 and was commended in both 2001 and 1999. He studied at St Helen’s College of Art and Design and Coventry Polytechnic and has been exhibiting his work for over twenty years. The shortlisted portrait is of his son, Tom, who was 17 at the time of the first sitting. ‘He was at the period in adolescence between boy and manhood and fleetingly suspended between both.’ Gaskell continued to work on the portrait over the next two years. ‘In spirit my painting owes most to Botticelli’s Portrait of a Young Man which is its primary inspiration and a painting I’ve always loved. The pose itself is more reminiscent of a number of portraits by Holbein, an artist I greatly admire.’

The Third Prize was awarded to Annalisa Avancini for Manuel

1000 x 800 mm

Annalisa, 35, is a painter and design teacher from Italy who studied at the Arts High School of Trento and the Marangoni Institute in Milan. This was the third time that Avancini had painted Manuel, 31. She says, ‘His eclectic personality is what attracts me. His story shines through his face. Despite his young age his life is rich in experience.’ Avancini started this most recent portrait last summer, attracted by the contrast between Manuel’s expression, the battered chair and the sunlight coming in through the window. Avancini’s work has been exhibited in numerous exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States and she won First Prize in both the 1st Contemporary Art Show 2006 at the Museum of the Americas, Miami and the Painting Prize for Young Artists 2007 at the Verona Fine Art Society.

The BP Young Artist Award 2009 is Mark Jameson for Benfica Blue.

1220 x 762 mm

Mark Jameson, 29, painted his award winning portrait of his sister, Lyndsey, in less than a month. The sittings took place at his parent’s house in County Durham. He says, ‘It was my intention to capture aspects of the subject’s persona, but also to convey this in a modern and relevant way. That said the acrid colours and an informal composition contribute to an accessible and honest account. This piece is not to my mind entirely finished. I hope that perhaps its technical shortcomings are in keeping with the character of the piece.’ Since graduating from Sunderland University with a degree in Fine Art in 2003, Jameson has acquired a handful of commissions through local art dealers and hopes to be able to become a full time artist in the future.

The BP Travel Award 2009 winner is Isobel Peachey

900 x 600 mm

Peachey submitted a proposal to travel to Belgium and Switzerland to sketch and paint portraits of those taking part in historical re-enactments. She will visit The Company of Saynt George, a Swiss group re-enacting the history of a small artillery company from the 15th Century at the Castle of Lenzburg, near Zurich, and The Napoleonic Association who portray the life of a military encampment near Antwerp in Belgium. Peachey hopes to capture the unique mix of history, culture, authentic settings and the participants’ passionate involvement in recreating the past. She receives a bursary of £5,000 to travel and paint portraits for display in next year’s BP Portrait Award exhibition.

Ben Edge studied at West Kent College and London Metropolitan University. Since graduating in 2008, his work has been seen in several group exhibitions in London.

The portrait is of Edge’s grandfather, Jed, who has a collection of exotic pets including snakes, lizards and spiders. Jed worked in Smithfield meat market for forty years, and also acted as an animal handler supplying snakes for adventure films. Edge says of his subject, ‘he has lived an extraordinary life and tells some of the greatest stories. This is what inspired me to make the painting.’

Jennifer Anderson trained in fine art at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee. Her work has been seen in group and solo exhibitions in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. She has exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2006), the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ Exhibition (2005, 2006) and in the BP Portrait Award in 2001, 2004 and 2005.

This portrait is of the artist’s sister, wearing an antique white linen nightdress. Anderson was interested in capturing the subtleties of the sitter’s complexion next to the delicacy of the lacework and in communicating her thoughtful mood.

Mary Jane Ansell studied illustration at Brighton University and has also undertaken short courses in printmaking and life drawing. Her work has been seen in solo exhibitions in London and group shows in the UK and Europe including those of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (2005 and 2007) and in the BP Portrait Award in 2004.

Georgie is one of Ansell’s regular models. Ansell says ‘she is someone who constantly fascinates me with her unique elegance and her strength of will behind such delicate features.’ The sittings for this portrait took place in Ansell’s studio.

Elena Baranoff studied miniature painting at Palekh Art School, Russia specialising in egg tempera technique. Her work has been seen in the UK at the exhibitions of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008) and in exhibitions of miniatures in Europe and the USA, where she lives and works.

Baranoff was inspired to paint Lord Poltimore, now Chairman of Sotheby’s UK, after attending an auction of Russian fine art. She wanted to capture his ‘elegance and ability to engage the audience’ through gesture and gaze.

Matt Batt studied at Kingston University and Chelsea College of Art. His work has been seen in solo and group exhibitions in London and was previously seen in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition in 1998 and 2002.

This portrait is of the artist’s sister, whom he had wanted to paint for some time. Batt made a series of sketches in one sitting and then immediately painted the portrait while the details were still fresh in his mind. He says: ‘I like to work quickly so that my paintings emerge as spontaneously as possible.’

Amelia Celia Bennett undertook a foundation course and fine art degree at St Martin’s School of Art, London. Her work was included in the Discerning Eye exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, and the Garrick Milne Theatrical Portrait Award (both 2003) and the BP Portrait Award 2008.

The portrait is of Bennett’s friend Amelia who has part Russian heritage. Bennett was inspired by the symbolism of Amelia’s colouring and says ‘the painting is made up of darks and lights with flashes of red. This matched the way I felt about Amelia who is self-contained with flashes of outward brilliance.’

Shany van den Berg is a largely self-taught artist living and working in South Africa. Her work has been seen in solo exhibitions in Stellenbosch and Johannesburg and in group exhibitions in South Africa and Europe.

The portrait is of van den Berg’s cleaner, Gladys. The painting was made from drawings and painted studies made in a series of sittings at times between Gladys’s working hours. Although their economic and cultural backgrounds are very different, van den Berg feels they share the connection of being mothers who are separated from their children.

Carey Clarke studied painting at the National College of Art, Dublin and taught painting and drawing there from 1963–1995. He is a past President of the Royal Hibernian Academy and an Honorary Royal Academician. During his fifty-year career his work has been seen widely in numerous group exhibitions.

Clarke had painted many depictions of his daughter as she was growing up, but wanted to create a more formal portrait of her after having reached adulthood. The artist combined his interest in still-life painting and interior detail to create a complex composition.

Jayne Cooper studied fine art painting at Glasgow School of Art. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions in the north of England and she has been an artist in residence at Pipworth Community School, Sheffield and the Ferens Art Gallery, Hull.

The portrait is of Cooper’s young daughter still wearing her pink deely boppers the morning after a Halloween party. Cooper says ‘the low winter light coming in through the window and the strange way she looks much older than her years in this particular pose made me want to make this painting.’

José Luis Corella studied at the Facultad de Bellas Artes de San Carlos in Valencia. Since 1980 his work has been widely exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Spain and the US and was included in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition in 2008.

The portrait is of Corella’s daughter, Paloma, and was painted in the artist’s studio.

Ian Cumberland studied fine art at Ulster University and has taken part in group exhibitions in Belfast and London.

The portrait is of Jackie, the father of a friend. Cumberland says he was interested in showing ‘the various layers of personality’ to which the title refers. When younger, Jackie had a tough personal image, now that he is older his eyes give an insight into the more vulnerable side of his personality.

Born in Barcelona, Miriam Escofet moved to England and gained a BA Honours Degree in 3D design from Brighton School of Art. She has had solo shows in London and Paris. Her work was included in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition, 2007.

The portrait is of Escofet’s brother, with whom she both grew up in Barcelona and also moved to London. She says: ‘I have always thought he has a “soulful” face and with his pale colouring I thought the simplest composition with dramatic lighting would best bring out those qualities.’ She worked from a series of sittings and from photographs.

Lee Fether studied at Central School of Art and Design and her work has been included in group exhibitions in London.

The portrait is of television presenter Gail Porter, and is based on sketches and photographs made in a sitting at Porter’s home. Porter suffers from alopecia which has resulted in her hair loss, Fether says: ‘I was inspired by Gail’s unique look, fortitude and ebullience.’

Clara Drummond studied modern languages at the University of Cambridge and drawing at The Prince’s Drawing School. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions in London and was previously included in the BP Portrait Award in 2006.

The portrait is of Drummond’s friend Iris with whom she both went to school and attended drawing college. The two women would sit as models for each other while they were studying together. Drummond says: ‘the fact that Iris is also a painter made the process of making the painting feel very natural and unposed.’

Maryam Foroozanfar studied illustration at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. Her work has been included in the annual exhibitions of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (2008, 2009) and in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

The portrait is of Foroozanfar’s friend Christina and was made in a series of sittings at the artist’s studio. Foroozanfar says the aim of the portrait was to ‘capture Christina’s directness as a prominent personality trait.’

Ismael Fuentes studied painting and drawing at the Facultad de Bellas Artes de San Carlos in Valencia. His work has been seen in a solo exhibition in Valencia and numerous group exhibitions in Spain.

The portrait is of Fuentes’s mother, a dressmaker. Fuentes says: ‘I have seen her sewing and ironing clothes since I was a child … her tired face contrasts with the bright colours of the clothes and her surroundings.’ The painting was inspired by Degas’s depictions of women engaged in routine domestic tasks.

Marianne Gibson studied at Kent Institute of Art and Design and Leeds University. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions, and through her own open studio initiative in Lyme Regis, Dorset. Between 2003 and 2009 she has undertaken a series of portrait commissions for the Royal Marines.

This portrait is of Gibson’s husband, Philip, who is a fisherman. He has fished from Lyme Regis for about thirty-five years and leaves at 5am every morning. He is shown looking out to sea on a winter morning, waiting for first light to make it safe for him to leave
the harbour.

June Glasson studied at Cornell University, New York, and through the University College, London study abroad scheme. Her work has been included in group exhibitions in the USA.

The portrait is of Glasson’s friend, Brittani Sonnenberg, a writer of fiction who lives in Berlin. They met when Glasson moved to the city; the portrait was painted during a series of sittings at the artist’s flat.

Daniel González Coves studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti de Brera, Milan, and the Real Academia de Bellas Artes San Carlos de Valencia. Since graduating his work has been seen in group exhibitions in Spain and Italy.

This self-portrait was painted during winter 2008 in Valencia. By creating a self-portrait looking directly at the viewer, González Coves wanted to offer a direct connection with his own inner world.

Hector Hernandez studied at the American Academy of Art, Chicago and Atelier Neo Medici in Verneuil-sur-Seine, France and is currently undertaking further studies at the Pelizzari Atelier, France. His work has been seen in a group exhibition in Chicago.

The idea of portraying his sleeping mother came to Hernandez while he was trying to think of another subject. He says, ‘I was sitting in my living room thinking of something to create when I looked over at my mother on the couch and the pose, textures, cushion, along with her sleeping, simply inspired me.’

Eileen Hogan studied at the Royal College of Art. Her most recent solo exhibition was in San Francisco and her work has been seen in group exhibitions including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (from 2000 to 2008), the Discerning Eye (1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007) and the BP Portrait Award Exhibition 2007.

These studies are part of an ongoing portrait project. While sitting for Hogan, the subject also makes recordings with an oral historian. The changing expressions and emotions expressed alter the traditional relationship of artist and sitter.

Natalie Holland studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, St Petersburg and after moving to Norway from her native Russia also studied with Norwegian artist Odd Nerdrum. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions in Norway, the USA and the UK.

The portrait is of Agnes, the 10-year-old daughter of a friend. Holland was inspired to capture the contrast between the girl’s appearance, saying ‘she looks like a princess from a Nordic fairy tale’, and her mischievous and feisty personality. During the portrait sittings Agnes talked about her world and forgot about the formality of sitting for a portrait.

Peter Holt studied at Liverpool School of Art and worked as a commercial illustrator for twenty-five years before turning to art teaching. His paintings have been seen in a group exhibition in Yorkshire.

This portrait is of Holt’s son and was based on a series of impromptu pencil sketches made at home. Holt says ‘my son was occupied with a task while seated at a table and I became aware that the level of his concentration produced a suggestion of quiet, stillness and reflection of which he was not self conscious.’

Ho-Jun Lee studied painting with art appreciation at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco where he now also teaches fine art. His work has been seen in a series of group exhibitions in California.

This portrait of Lee’s grandmother was painted in her home. Her physical frailty and long life experience serve as a reminder of human mortality for the artist. Lee says ‘whenever I see her face, I can feel life and death at the same time.’

Susan Light studied at Leeds Polytechnic and San Francisco State University, California. Her work has been seen in solo exhibitions in London and in group exhibitions in the UK including the Discerning Eye (from 1995 to 2002) and the Hunting Art Prizes (1991–99).

The portrait is of Fatema, an acquaintance who is a homeopathy student. Light was interested in portraying someone whose face was partly covered; this is one of a series of works depicting young British women.

Dan Llywelyn Hall studied art at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff and the University of Westminster, London. He won the Singer & Friedlander – Sunday Times Young Artist of the Year 2003 and his work has been seen at the National Gallery of Wales, Cardiff and the Royal Watercolour Society, Sunday Times exhibition 2008.

This portrait is of Harry Patch (1898-2009), the last surviving British soldier to have fought in the trenches during the First World War, including serving at the Battle of Passchendaele. His first-hand accounts of the war have been widely broadcast. The painting was made from a single three-hour sitting.

Graeme Lothian is a self-taught artist who has had solo exhibitions in Australia and the UK. He has undertaken commissions, including depictions of the Boat Race for Oxford University Boat Club.

Dr Shakoor is a consultant paediatrician who specialises in neurodisability. Lothian says ‘her busy desk says to me: a career and the story of her life’. Objects include a photograph of Dr Shakoor’s late mother, copies of Oxford Today journal and the toys she uses when children visit her office. The office was painted at weekends when the consulting rooms are closed.

Eleanor McCaughey trained at the Ballyfermot College of Art and the Irish Academy of Figurative Art. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions in Ireland and the USA and was selected for the Royal Ulster Academy Annual Exhibition 2008.

The portrait is of McCaughey’s friend, Frances. McCaughey’s aim was to show the different aspects of Frances’s personality from her relaxed expression with a mischievous glint in her eye. McCaughey says ‘her t-shirt is fun and off-beat, reflecting Frances’s cheerful nature.’

Donald Macdonald studied at Grays School of Art, Aberdeen. His work has been seen in group exhibitions in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London and he was commissioned to paint a work for presentation to the First Minister of Scotland in 2004.

The portrait is of Charlie, the father of Macdonald’s fiancée. When Charlie underwent open-heart surgery, Macdonald made studies at home and when visiting Charlie in hospital. Although Macdonald intended to portray the physical aspects of surgery, he says: ‘the painting became as much about the emotional effects of losing his wife in 1987’.

Jennifer McRae trained at Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen and has had solo exhibitions in the UK and USA. Her work has been selected for the Hunting Art Prizes (1992, 1998, 2001), the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005) and the BP Portrait Award Exhibition (1995, 1996, 1998), winning the BP Travel Award, 1999.

Pat and Geoffrey Eastop have a life-long involvement with art. Pat has initiated and chairs an open studio scheme for artists and devised a programme of art workshops and residencies in schools. Geoffrey is a sculptor working with ceramic material.

James Metcalfe trained at Chelsea College of Art and Design and Camberwell College of Art. His work has been seen in group exhibitions including the Royal Scottish Academy Open, Edinburgh (2005) and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ Exhibition, London (2006).

The portrait is of the actor Gregor Fisher. Metcalfe wrote to Fisher asking if he would sit for a portrait. The sittings took place at Fisher’s flat when he was appearing at the Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh. During the sittings the artist and model listened to Radio 4 or Classic FM.

Born in the Czech Republic, Hynek Martinec graduated from the Academy of Fine Art, Prague in 2005. In 2003 he won the Academy’s Studio Prize. He has had solo exhibitions in Prague, London and Paris. He won the inaugural BP Young Artist Award in 2007.

The portrait is of Martinec’s friend, Angela. Although Angela was born in London, her parents are from Sri Lanka. During the portrait sittings she told Martinec stories about their heritage and a visit she had made to the country. She says, ‘the title of the painting that Hynek chose is very special to me’.

David Nipo trained at the Jerusalem Studio School. His work has been seen in solo and group exhibitions in Israel and the USA.

The portrait is of Nipo’s colleague and former teacher Aram Garshuni, with whom he runs Hatahana school of drawing and painting in Tel Aviv. The title for the painting comes from a traditional story about a painting competition in which one artist used a dark mirrored surface to reflect his opponent’s work and so claim it as his own. Nipo wanted the work to reflect his and Garshuni’s differing personalities and artistic approaches.

Tim Okamura studied at Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, Canada and the School of Visual Arts, New York. His work has been seen in solo exhibitions in New York and Canadian cities and was included in both the BP Portrait Award and Toronto International Art Fair in 2008.

The portrait shows Okamura’s friends Sophie, Marie Jean and Hanna. In making the portrait Okamura wanted to capture the contrasting personalities of three friends. The women were encouraged to choose an accessory that best suited them or represented the mood they were in on the first day of the project.

Paul Oxborough trained at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. His work has been seen in numerous group and solo exhibitions in London and New York and was selected for the BP Portrait Award Exhibition in 2005 and 2007.

The portrait is of Stefon Alexander, a Minnesota-based hip-hop artist known as P.O.S.. Alexander was a willing model and participated in several sittings. The strong top-lighting was chosen to mimic that used for P.O.S.’s stage performances while the portrait aims to show his strong personality.

Natan Pernick studied at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem and his work was seen in a group exhibition there in 2008.

The portrait is of Eva, a ceramicist and the mother of a friend. Pernick says he was inspired to paint her ‘by her emphatic and human appearance. I was influenced by her short haircut and style of dress which emphasise a unique attitude that I found interesting.’

Anastasia Pollard trained at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Florence Academy of Art. Her work has been included in numerous exhibitions in Pennsylvania and London. Her portraits have been seen in the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ Annual Exhibition (2005, 2006 and 2007), winning the Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture, 2009. Pollard’s work has previously been included in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition in 2006 and 2007. This portrait is of Pollard’s friend Kate.

Philip Renforth trained in fine art and works as an occupational therapist. He has won Northern Arts and Southern Arts artist awards and his work was included in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition 2007.

The portrait shows Renforth’s nephew Joe, at the age of eleven with his grandfather Philip aged eighty-one. Renforth was struck by the fact that they were of similar height although one was looking forward at the beginning of life and the other was reflecting on seventy years of experience. The sitters share a particularly close relationship.

Stephen Earl Rogers trained at Basingstoke College of Technology and the University of Derby. His work was selected for the Garrick/Milne Prize 2003 and the BP Portrait Award 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.

The portrait is of Rogers’s son Beau and was painted in the studio and at their home. Rogers wanted to paint a portrait that might become a family heirloom, but would not rely on the typical imagery associated with portraits of children. Rogers says, ‘this is not the sum total of his character, but I expect to see this expression a lot more as he gets older.’

Sue Rubira studied illustration at the University of West England, Bristol and the Royal College of Art, London. Her work has been included in the Singer & Friedlander – Sunday Times Watercolour Competition (1995, 2006, 2007) and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ exhibition 2007.

This portrait is of Rubira’s mother and was painted in the artist’s studio. Rubira says ‘I chose to position her purposefully under a sky light which presented her in the natural, unembellished state most familiar to me.’

Karl Rudziak studied art, design and media at the University of Portsmouth and won the Portsmouth Open Art Competition, 2008.

Rudziak has lived in Portsmouth all his life and wanted to paint a portrait that expressed the different elements of the city’s community. The local football club’s success in winning the 2008 FA Cup gave him the opportunity to paint Westwood, an ardent supporter of the team. During the sittings, Rudziak came to understand that Westwood’s tattoos and costume were not simply an attention-seeking display but a way of externalising his deep passion for Portsmouth FC and reflecting his inner self.

SACRIS is a self-taught artist who has worked in theatre design and illustration as well as painting. His work has been seen in solo exhibitions in Barcelona, Girona and Mallorca and in numerous group exhibitions in Spain and The Netherlands.

The portrait is of SACRIS’s mother-in-law, Josefa, and was painted in her home. The artist wanted to capture both Josefa’s personality and also the loneliness and sense of isolation sometimes experienced by older people.

Louis Smith studied painting at Sheffield Hallam University and scene painting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London. He has recently completed a course at Angel Art Academy, Florence and his work has been seen in group shows in Florence, Manchester and London.

The portrait is of George Aird, a well-known figure in north-west England through his connection with the painter L.S. Lowry. Smith says of the composition: ‘I painted George smoking a cigarette because it would have looked odd not to. Sometimes props are used in portraiture to define the sitter, it was a gift I couldn’t refuse.’

Jung-Im Song studied fine arts at the Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea. Her work has been seen in solo and group exhibitions in Seoul and was included in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition in 2006.

The portrait is of Song’s husband, Kim and was painted at their home. The couple have been together for ten years, Song says of their close relationship, ‘for me he became like a song that we sing unconsciously.’ In the portrait she has tried to capture both his strong spirit and sensitive personality.

Benjamin Sullivan trained at Grimsby College of Art and Design and Edinburgh College of Art. His work has been included in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2002), the BP Portrait Award Exhibition (2002, 2006, 2007) and won the Lynn Painter Stainers Prize 2007. Paintings by Sullivan are included in the collections of the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh and the Parliament House Portraits, Edinburgh. His portrait of Baron Rees of Ludlow was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery.

This portrait of Sullivan’s partner, Virginia, at their shared home was inspired by Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait in the National Gallery.

Edward Sutcliffe studied art with art history at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and took a post-graduate diploma at Central St Martins, London. His work has been seen in group exhibitions in Seoul and London and was included in the BP Portrait Award Exhibition in 2000 and 2007.

The portrait is of Jamchandra Je, a painter Sutcliffe met and befriended while travelling in India. The portrait was painted in the Hotel Ganges View, Varanasi, where each day Je would paint Indian miniatures in the hotel courtyard. Sutcliffe wanted to capture the artist’s inner calm in contrast to the bustling city life around him.

After training as a teacher, Mieke Tierlinck studied painting part time at the Academy of Fine Arts, Bruges. Her work has been seen in group and solo exhibitions in Belgium and she was commissioned to paint twenty-one portraits of the organisers of Bruges Cultural Capital of Europe, 2002.

The sitter, Francis, lives in residential care for people with disabilities in Bruges. This one of a series of portraits of the people who live in the complex, each of whom sat for about fifteen hours for Tierlinck. She says ‘I didn’t know any of them and connecting with them became a most interesting experience.’

Daphne Todd was formerly President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (1994–2000) and has won several prizes for portraiture including the Huntington National Art Prize 1984 and the Ondaatje Prize 2001. Her work was included in the BP Portrait Award in 1983 and 2007 and is included in the collections of Her Majesty The Queen, the National Portrait Gallery and the Science Museum.

Baron Armstrong of Ilminster served as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister (1970-75) and Secretary of the Cabinet (1978-87). Todd painted him at his Somerset home and said of the sittings ‘he keeps very still and “enters into the spirit of things”, as he puts it.’

Erin Wozniak studied at Columbus College of Art and Design, Ohio and Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Her work has been seen in group shows in the USA and juried exhibitions in New Zealand and the USA.

The portrait is of Wozniak’s grandmother,Elsie. Wozniak says ‘towards the end of her life, my grandmother sat for me daily as I painted her portrait. I tried to capture the physical evidence of her life experience.’ The portrait was a chance to explore and depict both her strength of character and vulnerability.

William Wright studied fine art at Leeds Metropolitan University. His work has been included in Singer & Friedlander - Sunday Times Watercolour Exhibition (2005, 2006, 2007), the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2008 and the BP Portrait Award Exhibition 2007.

This portrait of Wright’s mother was made in one sitting in the artist’s studio. He says it was ‘painted over the top of an older painting I had in my studio. I found inspiration in her grey hair.’