I had the pleasure of painting a wonderful portrait of North Yorkshire’s previous Vice Lord Lieutenant, Colonel Edward Christopher York. Colonel Edward York held the appointment of Vice Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire from January 2000 to February 2014. In 2015 Edward was honoured with an OBE for services to charity.
Edward and his wife, Sarah, play a huge role in the local community particularly with regards to conservation. They also happen to be the loveliest of people. So, back in 2012 I decided to approach Edward about the possibility of painting his portrait. I was inspired by the portraits of old, particularly works by Thomas Gainsborough. Edward has such presence and grandeur, and with the title and uniform – really suited this style of portrait.
Portrait of Colonel Edward York
In between portrait painting commissions, projects, teaching and more, I worked on Colonel Edwards portrait and finally completed it in January 2018.
Every new piece of artwork is a new experiment, though that sounds scary, anyone who tells you they know the exact end result of a painting is not telling the truth. An ideal result in mind, I know what I am aiming for. I even paint in my sleep (not physically obviously), let’s just say I solve a lot in my dreams and often wake up suddenly knowing exactly how to proceed with a piece of work.
I am pleased to say I am extremely happy with the portrait of Colonel Edward York and I could not have asked for a better reaction from Sarah and the subject himself. Edward and his wife loved the portrait!
To see the portrait in full, please visit my Paintings Gallery
