Having done something stupid whilst attempting to load files a couple of years ago, I was victim to a semi-catastrophic loss of data from my computer. The result was that I have been without photographs of many recent paintings, and I have consequently been trying to get myself reunited with a number of pictures in order to remedy the situation. One way to achieve this is to invite oneself for dinner- and it was by this simple if socially dubious method that this week I was able to look once more upon the most elegant of brides (Dorothee Cresswell, below right), painted in 2010.
It reminded me that I have done a number of interesting commissions of brides, and given the upsettingly poor cost-to-use ratio of a beautiful wedding dress, why not go the extra distance and record the moment and the dress with a full-length portrait?
A few years back I collaborated on this theme with jeweller Cassandra Goad at her shop in Sloane Street www.cassandragoad.com. The largest full-length portrait I have done hung in her shop window for a month, and led to some interesting work including the commission above.
More recently, I have been commissioned to paint a family group done from photographs taken outside Chelsea Old Church, which was a challenge despite or rather because of the lack of sittings. The whole thing had to be spliced together from the intense chaos of a two-minute photo opportunity outside the church. I enjoyed doing this well enough, in fact I am very pleased with the results, but please give me more satin and tulle this summer….