Fionn Wilson

Portrait commissions are daunting, for obvious reasons. How can you depict the whole of a person in one painting? Obviously, you can’t, but there has to be an essence of the subject captured for the painting to be in some way successful. It can’t just be about likeness — I’m not a fan of the formal portraits produced for CEOs and ‘important people’. These portraits are often just about status. I think you can also easily tell portraits which are more about the artist than the sitter, where the artist has got in the way of the person they’re painting. These, to me, are not successful portraits — you just can’t bring yourself to believe in them.

I’m not often pleased with my own work, which I think is a good thing — this allows for growth and prevents complacency from setting in. I am aware, tho, when I feel like I’ve done someone (or something) justice to the best of my ability at that point. My main motive is to try to capture the poetry of someone (or something) or to be a conduit to show an aspect of someone’s personhood — some part of the equation of their being (whether this is emotional or an intellectual position).

I feel happy with this portrait of my friend and artist Lucy Cox. I think it accurately depicts her gentleness (as a strength). It catches her in a moment of self-reflection where we wonder what she might be thinking or feeling, which leads us right into the painting. This moment of introspection adds to the intrigue of the portrait and the Ghostbusters motif brings a sense of playfulness but also perhaps a point of tension. There is also a sense of silence to the painting — a stillness and peace and a feeling that this person knows who she is. I hope it also captures the physical beauty of Lucy’s face — she has the ‘Marilyn’ light to her skin where she often seems to be lit from within. What also makes me happy is that when I look at this portrait I think of cherry blossom and I think that’s quite a beautiful metaphor for Lucy.

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