House Portraits

Working from life and/or photographs I create personal bespoke portraits of homes.

RECENT COMMISSIONS

Commissioned as a birthday present for a lady who has just moved to this gorgeous Victorian Gothic cottage in a small community in Highgate, North London. I have also included a beloved pet - an enormous curly coated retriever. I really enjoyed playing with the perspective on this one to show the front door as well as a corner view of the house - it is semi-detached but I have 'dissolved' the neighbour into the trees.

 

Below is one I did of an apartment in a country estate in Sussex, including pet cat (sadly no longer with us) and a cheeky pheasant who runs across the lawn - probably since the cat is no longer around!

Another apartment - this one is in Marylebone, London W1

This one is a little different as it is an interior view with a 'shelfie' - a portrait of a shelf with personal items and sigificant books (it is a thing on instagram) and a portrait of Sybil the cat. 

PROCESS

This film is of me drawing the initial sketch for a house in Wimbledon, right next to the tennis courts.

 

I also rather like the sketchbook 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.

 The finished print

Another larger print of a converted coach house in Highgate, North London 

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 Springs

A 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, Cobham

This 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, UK

This 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

Gloucester Avenue, NW1 with Primrose Hill in the background

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