Miscellaneous - Watercolours and Pastels

Lion cub

As used in my step by step guide where I will take you through the various stages of a painting from start to finish.

The Statue of Liberty

I decided to experiment with pastels recently, and moved by the terrible events of september 11th, wanted to do something connected with New York City. The Statue of Liberty silently says it all, she is the visual embodiment of the enduring values of freedom and liberty. An Icon of huge significance, perhaps even moreso today than when she was first conceived by Edouard-Rene' Lefebvre de Laboulaye in 1865. She was sculpted by Fre'de'ric Auguste Bartholdi and unveiled in 1886, standing proudly ever since as a work of incredible significance and beauty. She was an inspiration to me from the moment I first saw pictures of her and drew her as a young boy. She is a masterpiece of visual communication working on all levels to inspire and uplift the human spirit. I love the idea of art on this scale and have visualised many colossal statues in my minds eye, hopefully one day I will get the time to depict them.

Lioness

On the prowl

Lion Head

Jimi Hendrix (1)

I admire genius, and the virtuosity of Jimi Hendrix's guitar playing seeks to remind me of just how good it's possible for a human being to be. He's a permanent reminder of that, and a great source of inspiration. I was honoured to have been invited to his girlfriend, Monika Danneman's funeral and was in awe of her great work. She had dedicated her life to painting him and when I returned home, I felt compelled to paint these pictures.

Jimi Hendrix (2)

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill 1874 - 1965.

In 1940 the world was in deep crisis with humanity facing its greatest challenge. France had fallen to Hitler along with most of Europe, leaving Great Britain to stand alone against all the horrors he would have brought to this world. If Britain had fallen, surrendered, or gone for a compromise peace, long years of evil tyranny would have descended upon Europe and in time, the world. It would have fallen to Russia to decide whether to challenge Hitler, a very difficult thing for it to attempt without a powerful ally in Europe, as it would have been for the United States to do so, without a secure base on the British Isles. Both powers were influenced by Britains will to fight on, a will driven and personified by Winston Churchill. The battle of Britain was won, and the whole course of world history was altered decidedly for the better.

As the American journalist Edward R. Murrow commented; 'Churchill mobilised the English language and sent it into battle' 'I have nothing to offer' Churchill said, '..but blood toil tears and sweat. You ask what is our policy? I can say it is to wage war by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all our strength that god can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word; It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be.

What better subject could there be for a portrait painter than this man? ...I just had to take some time out from my wildlife work to do this.