Clemmie
12 x 16 in (30 x 40 cm) Charcoal on paper
I had thought to draw Clemmie drawing at a table, she had the better idea to show her reading as she loves reading.
The drawing was a present for her grandmother and I drew the second one as a present for Clemmie herself, I love the idea that she will have it all her life and remember the day that we were together.
Incidental Portrait of Tia
18 x 12 in (46 x 30 cm) conté pencil on paper
I love these incidental drawings because the recognisable personality can be captured by the gestures without needing to depict the face, and they are a gentle way of portraying a person and work especially well with women and children
Michael and Mia
18 x 12 in (46 x 30 cm) conté pencil on paper
Pencil drawings are lovely. I was able to portray the gentleness in Michael’s eyes in such a sensitive way with a very soft touch and smudge of conté pencil.
Brother and sister Michael and Mia are just at the end of their time of sharing a home. As they will probably never do so again, it felt important to draw them together before they separate.
Mother and Baby
12 x 8 in (30 x 20 cm) conté pencil on paper
This was a very young baby and these fleeting periods of infancy and childhood are lovely to catch with the lightness of a drawing. It was delightful also to show how utterly in love this young mother is with her baby.
Sally
14 x 8 in (36 x 20 cm) conté pencil on paper
Originally, the plan was to draw Sally with her dog Peaches, but I’m afraid Peaches was having none of it. The pose is actually Sally gazing out of the window at Peaches bounding around the garden.
Ciera and Alfie
16 x 12 in (40 x 30 cm) Charcoal on paper
I love these incidental drawings; they are so gentle and show everything about a relationship without needing to show faces.
Tibby
12 x 12 in (30 x 30 cm) conté pencil on paper
Tibby had been showing me how to do headstands on her bed. She took some persuading to stand upright for long enough for me to take a reference photograph, but we got it. I love the way we captured the freshness of Tibby in the middle of her athletics.
Lucas
conté pencil on paper
Lucas came to my studio and I gave him paints, brushes and paper and he set to work making a painting for his mother. I was able to catch his expression while he concentrated on his work.
James and Myra
16 x 10 in (41 x 26 cm) conté pencil on paper
This drawing was commissioned as a wedding present for James and Myra by their friend George. I made it as romantic as I could with the ‘love light’ in their eyes.
Georgina
16 x 12 in (41 x 30 cm) charcoal on paper
George is a friend of mine and I know her well; she is a hugely intelligent and wise woman and I wanted to portray this in my drawing. I chose to draw her in charcoal, not pencil, because I wanted to work using mass rather than line. I found it very satisfying because I’m able to work with charcoal in almost the same way as I use paint. This gives me a very atmospheric effect with a sensitive portrayal of light and a solidity of form.
Drawing of Shane Warne
22 x 14 in (56 x 36 cm) conté pencil on paper
This drawing was made as a study for the portrait I painted of Shane for the Marylebone Cricket Club. It turned out so well that I exhibited it in the Long Room at Lord’s with the painted portrait. This real piece of cricket memorabilia it was bought by an avid cricket supporter.