VAO 2021 Submissions

VAO Uk & International Emerging Artist Award 2021

Competition submissions:

‘Magnificent Elephants-No.2-with 24 ct Gold Leaf’
30 x 24 inches
Oil on Canvas with 24 ct Gold Leaf

My intention with this piece was to create not only something visually beautiful and appealing to the audience, but something which would also grab their attention and draw them into the painting for a closer look. I wanted to express the strength, majestic beauty and vulnerability of this critically endangered species. I developed a unique wet on wet style using oil paint to create streaks of hazy, merging, vibrant colours and added details of 24 ct gold leaf.

‘David Bowie-Drip Portrait’
30 x 24 inches
Oil on Canvas

This piece was created using oil paint and refined linseed oil to create the ‘drip’ finish. It’s the first human portrait painting I’ve ever done, using the album cover ‘Aladdin Sane’ as my reference. I wanted to create a contemporary feel to the image as well as keeping to my own unique style. I’m fascinated with colour and texture, and creating expressive, fantastical backgrounds with depth and details to draw the audience in for a closer inspection of the surface textures and qualities created. I hope to achieve a contemporary expressionist style of portrait, yet still for the subject, in this case David Bowie, to be easily recognisable and the first impact to achieve an emotive reaction from the viewer