Andy and David

This is a portrait which I recently completed of some good friends. David commissioned the portrait as a holiday gift for Andy and, to be honest, the project terrified me. Now that it has been completed I am extremely pleased. It was a great challenge for me and, I believe, that I rose to the occasion.

I have a painting in my home which is a reproduction I did of 'The Acrobats' by Picasso. David had always loved that painting and asked that I do the portrait in a similar style; a great idea but difficult in its execution. Picasso's painting is very sorrowful and, the faces are so stylised and much of the faces are in such heavy shadow that I'm sure the models were not recognizable. My painting of Andy and David was to be a portrait so... Picasso's style had to be manipulated. I wanted Andy and David to be recognizable and, I wanted them to look happy (as they did in the photo I was working from).