Artist's Statement
I'm a portrait artist originally from London, now living in the upper Swansea Valley. I take my inspiration from the Pre-Raphaelites and the painters of the Renaissance. Skill in drawing, and in the subtle and accurate use of colour, are vital to me as an artist. I want my portraits not only to draw out the essential character of my subjects, but to be appreciated for the quality of line and tone. I want visitors to my exhibitions to feel that the skill of an individual artist in drawing and painting is important.
My portraits are executed in pastel, in a unique hyper-realist style which has been praised by critics, the public, and the sitters themselves. The technique I have developed with pastel painting gives the work an incredibly rich, velvet finish. It also enables me to render accurately the textures of linen, leather, silk, wool, and of course, skin tones and hair.
Please take some time to look at the images on my site. If you want to buy a painting, discuss a commission, or send me feedback, you can email me through the Contact page.
News
My Poet Portraits exhibition is at the Court Cupboard Gallery near Abergavenny from 1 March to 25 April.
On March 27 my portrait of Roland Mathias was unveiled at the award ceremony for the Roland Mathias Prize, the biennial award established to honour his contribution to literature. I was interviewed onstage by BBC journalist Nicola Heywood-Thomas about the work, before unveiling it. The painting is now on display in Oriel Pen-y-Fan in Brecon.
The painting I have had accepted in the Wales Portrait Award is on show at Theatr Mwldan in Cardigan from April 8 to May 23. It's a family portrait of Kevin Brennan MP, his wife Amy Wack, and daughter Siobhan (you can view it on the Other Portraits page).
The body of work I'm working on now is Creative People Across the Arts. It includes writers, art critics and artists from across the UK. Some of the portraits will be in pastel, others in oil, and I'm working in a variety of sizes and formats.
Lorraine Bewsey
