A Portrait of the Artist in the Company of His Creations
A Portrait of the Artist in the Company of His Creations
- Medium
- Water-Mixable Oil Paint and Airbrush
- Dimensions
- 400 × 500 mm
Back in 2013, they released a new TV show called Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, so I applied with a mediocre pencil portrait but didn’t get in. Each year since then, when their site opened up for submissions, I would challenge myself to paint a self-portrait, making it a yearly tradition. But whilst each year was an improvement, experimenting with light, shade, and story, the reply would always be the same: you were not successful.
In 2023 I delayed uploading my self-portrait to their website to see if it would improve my chances by submitting later in the process. The self-portrait you see here was my attempt. I painted it with water-mixable oils. This was also my first time using an airbrush.
The portrait depicts a lonely man in his early thirties, in the process of creating characters to bring to life so that he doesn't feel alone. Behind him are some of the characters he has created for his horror stories and sketchbook. For the artist, painting and creating new worlds is the only way to keep himself sane.
A few days later, I received an email; I just didn’t get in. Then In January 2024, for the first time since the show began, I simply didn’t apply. These days I focus on my writing, a novella, short stories — and life.
In 2023 I delayed uploading my self-portrait to their website to see if it would improve my chances by submitting later in the process. The self-portrait you see here was my attempt. I painted it with water-mixable oils. This was also my first time using an airbrush.
The portrait depicts a lonely man in his early thirties, in the process of creating characters to bring to life so that he doesn't feel alone. Behind him are some of the characters he has created for his horror stories and sketchbook. For the artist, painting and creating new worlds is the only way to keep himself sane.
A few days later, I received an email; I just didn’t get in. Then In January 2024, for the first time since the show began, I simply didn’t apply. These days I focus on my writing, a novella, short stories — and life.