Commissions

People are the most interesting subject of all. I enjoy portrait commissions; a painting of an adult subject becomes in effect the result of a dialogue between painter and sitter. With young children it is a bit different, and I prefer to limit the sittings and to work with photographic reference, usually using watercolour or pastel.

To see a picture in full: click on the thumbnail, which will make it appear again on a separate page, and then click again on that image.

A painting of a family home or a favourite scene can make an excellent present. If distance makes a visit problematic I will always consider working from photos.

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I illustrated an Australian children’s book by Mary Small, called Lennie’s Ride, and designed the covers for that and two others by the same author: Grandfather’s Tiger and And Everywhere that Vera Went. These were all done in watercolour. You can see some of the illustrations to Lennie's Ride  by clicking here.

Pen and ink was my choice for a graphic letterhead design for a local business.

However I chose scraperboard, for its decorative qualities, when I designed images for Country Walks, a local booklet. You can see all the images by clicking on the cover, right.

A local magazine featured some “knitted mice” and so these mouse drawings featured as illustrations! (Interestingly, photos of the little dolls didn’t work at all.)

When George Gilbert Scott’s original hotel, now the Pancras Renaissance Hotel, was undergoing reconstruction in 2010 I was invited to make a series of drawings of the work under way. It was an inspiring and exciting visit, and these studies were the result. You can see some more here.

My charges for commissions start at £200 for a small watercolour study, rising to £750 for an oil portrait.

Once commissioned, I take photos and make sketches preparatory to producing the finished work.

I can also advise and help with framing.

If you have a project which might need illustration please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm happy to discuss without obligation.