Portraits of Places

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In an age of movement a house portrait can provide an invaluable memory. The house where people live reflects who they are and what makes them happy. Walls, windows, doors, bricks, wood and stone seem to take on the characters of their owners. For the artist, it is important to know what it is about the house that matters most; its no use rendering a grand front entrance if everything of family importance happened at the back one. Sometimes the house itself is best remembered by the land it sits on and at a particular time of year. It is quite challenging to see a place in August and, tree by tree, determine what it looks like in May.

How I work
I try, in perhaps an hour of conversation and walking about, to find out what should be included, how the house sits on the ground and the way the light falls. House portraits are often intended for surprise presents, so these visits are often secret (and amusing too, when the intended recipient walks in unexpectedly!). I then photograph extensively and work up the painting on return to my studio.

What will it cost?
For commissioned work, I like to receive half the agreed price at the start and half on completion, but for more expensive portraits, time payments are acceptable