Portrait of a child
Humility, & perseverance.
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“Portrait of a Alice Hart”
Acrylic on Belgian Linen, 90 x 120cm
A young child gazes at the viewer with calm and thoughtful expression. She has an orange bow in her long hair and a square fringe. Cowboy boots swing quietly above the parquetry floor that they do not quite reach. Various details capture the elements of a specific outfit. The room is suffused with soft light.
Photographic references are used to record various compelling details of the sitter’s chosen outfit, including stitching on the leather cowboy boots, and bobbles on the scarf. Textured details on the knitted jumper add to the realism, but it is the soft light of the room that brings a subtle and important painterly effect. It is this treatment that gently binds all the elements together into a coherent whole.
Ultimately though, the success of the finished portrait comes from the gestural studies drawn from life, to capture the fleeting expression and character which makes this girl’s face uniquely her own.