House Portraits
Working from life and/or photographs I create personal bespoke portraits of homes.
I am currenly working on a house in Wimbledon, right next to the tennis courts. Still in progress, this is a film of my first draft for the composition. The client and I are now refining it; changing some of the planting etc.. before I start the actual print.
I also rather like the skecthbook page I created for this project using the photos I took on my site visit. I find 'doodling' in and around the photos helps me to form a composition in my head - I also add notes about which plants the client wants to include, often these are not flowering or have been completely removed but they can be restored with 'artistic license'. We have also included the local church which you cannot actually see from the house but features nearby and again with a little creativity can be included.
Recent commission - Highgate North London
Coming soon - my first indoors house portrait - it's more of a 'shelfie with cat' and I am enjoying making it very much.
In this film you see the process of creation from initial drawing, trace and print to final painting. The home owner was leaving her home of 20 years and commissioned this as a memory. She specified the details, all of which held a personal significance to her and her family; her bike, Primrose Hill, the London Eye, even the cranes.
I do not make an exact representation of the property, I try to capture the feeling of the home. I often include local features, front and back of the property and any particularly personal touches that make it your home.
Hampton SpringsA magnificient house between Richmond and Kingston Upon Thames. The owner wanted to highlight the proximity to Richmond Park - shown in the lefthand top corner with two deer relaxing in the grass. It also includes 'The Conduit House' a Historic England site situated in the garden - in the front of the picture.
Goldrings, CobhamThis was commissioned by someone who lived here and commuted into London to work, so I have included a skyline of the city viewed across the local heathland where they would exercise their dogs (also included). The daffodils were also requested as they were in particular fine form when they first moved there in the Spring.
Suffolk, UKThis shows the front and backviews of the property linked through an archway in the fence in the centre of the image. Also featured; a favourite gardening frog sculpture and chickens.
These two were for a lady who was retiring to the countryside and wanted to remember her two previous homes. On the left is a terraced house on Putney hill and the right is a beautiful house in Den Haag. While it is always better to see the house for real, for the further afield commissions I work from photos and use Google Maps to get a feel of the street and surrounding area.
I usually create more than one just incase I make a mistake or my cat walks across it with inky paws (this has happened in the past). I then offer the 'spares' to the client at half price. When I told this to a client in Hampstead Garden Suburb he actually commissioned three to go to three siblings to celebrate the house where they grew up.
This is gorgeous home in the South of France is made of 3 village houses combined into one property with a stunning garden out the back.
Also in Europe, last year I completed a portrait of a beautiful rooftop terrace in Southern Spain.
This one was completed entirely from photographs as sadly I was unable to visit myself. As always I have used a bit of artistic licence (and Google Maps).
The original photos
The finished image
Mews House, Primrose Hill, London NW1
Mansion Flats, Willesden, London NW6
Knightsbridge, London SW7
Camden Town, London NW1
To commission me please email me and we can discuss, I can work from photos and/or a visit. Alternatively you can purchase a commission as a gift with one of my gift cards
Ground Floor Flat, Primrose Hill, London NW1
Top floor flat, Primrose Hill, London NW1
