Saturday 26 March 2011

June Mendoza - Portrait Painter to the Stars

There are few people I know with as much energy as portrait painter June Mendoza.


 This is what she is currently up to:

" I am doing a whole wall for the Royal Hospital Chelsea.  There will be at least 50  same size canvases in oils of the, mostly, heads of the Pensioners,----  5 rows of 10    I go there about once a week and have finished about 35.

Have very recently finished Dr David Starkey;  opera singer Felicity Palmer in my ongoing series of musicians;  Valerie Grove, the author/journalist.    These latter three will be in Royal Soc. of Portrait Painters annual in May.

I am currently painting the head of the Inst. of Psychiatry, King's College, Prof. Robin Murray and  a conversation piece of David Mellor Q.C and Lady Cobham.

I am also painting Lord Stewartby [ in tartan trews ] ,Peregrine Massey  full length in costume, with sword, as High Sherrif of Kent"

It makes me feel tired just rteading about it. And the amazing thing about JUne is ashje has been at the top of her profession for an amazingly long time. Doing some research the other day  I cam accross a film reporty from the old Pathe News featuring Jiune painting the portrait of 60's singer and actress Anita Harris. This is a lovely period piece and worth you viewing. You may  have to sit though a short advert first but that's the price we pay for a free to view archive. Anita starts up doing some excercises on a device that was considered high tech in 1966 when this was filmed. Then she does a bit of Judo (like you do) before trolling off to June's studio to have her portrait painted. Delightful. It's hip and goovey and I like it!

Just click on the image blow for the video to start. It will open a new window with the video in it. There is abox in the bottom right hand of the new window which makes the image bigger.

ANITA HARRIS



And here's June filmed last year for her first teaching DVD. Hardly looks a day older does she?  I wish I knew her secret!

Monday 21 March 2011

Masterclass Event Pictures

The latest Masterclass event held on Sunday March 20 at the Picturecraft Gallery in Holt, North Norfolk was a big sucess wth a full house for three inspirational demonstrations by ROI artists Peter Wileman, David Curtis and Brian Ryder. It was a wonderfully relaxed and informative day made possible by Adrian Hill, Managing Director of Picturecraft, who donated his gallery for the day for the event. Adrian also is staging an  exhibition in his new fine art gallery extension of works by 10 ROI members which is well worth travelling to Holt to view.

Here are some pictures from the event and of the ROI exhibtion at the Picturecraft Gallery
















And in case you were wonderimg - this last picture is David Curtis's palette!