TAKING A BREAK FROM PORTRAIT COMMISSIONS
I have decided after almost 10 years of doing commissioned portraits that I need to take a break due to other commitments. I am very busy as a piano teacher (around 65 pupils) and conductor of a community orchestra. I have also been very preoccupied with my collaborative art and story telling game IT’S A DRAW (see page on this website).
I am planning to work on some of my own projects including a large landscape in oil, a series of portraits of my dog and members of my family, and a large self portrait for next years prestigious Adam Portrait Competition. I will show some of these (and progress updates) from time to time on this website as well as on the Portrait Guy Facebook page.
Thank you all very much for your support, commissions, and incredibly kind and encouraging comments over the years. They really mean A LOT to an artist!
Joel Bolton
‘Helen and Alun Bollinger’ - Oil on Canvas
If you only have half a minute….
SEE MORE PORTRAITS ON THE “GALLERY” PAGE
“Joel has done a couple of drawings for me now, and I can’t recommend him highly enough. His ability to capture expression is unreal. I can’t believe how life-like his portraits are” Becs Fusaro
“Joel is an amazingly accurate animal portrait artist. His approach from start to finish was professional, very kind and with empathy, and also within the time frame we had discussed. When the painting arrived it was exactly as our dogs look - one of the dogs is deceased and I shed a tear when I saw the painting. We completely recommend Joel and his fine work” Bev Webber
“Have just received the drawing Joel did of my three gypsy cobs (horses). Absolutely LOVE it…he has captured the very soul of these boys…can almost feel their velvety muzzles! I highly recommend Joel to anyone who wants a portrait done of their animals” Sue Amberger
READ MORE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE “TESTIMONIAL” PAGE
PET PORTRAITS a specialty…
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Apart from drawing and painting portraits I passionately pursue a number of other careers and interests - mainly in the music field but also including digital art and design, video editing, board game design and learning languages.
I’m definitely a firm believer in the maxim “Variety is the Spice of Life”!
READ MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST IN THE “ABOUT” PAGE
SOME REASONS FOR COMMISSIONING A HAND-CRAFTED PORTRAIT….
Hand crafted portraits have long been regarded as the ultimate means of honouring a person or animal’s memory. Even in this day of easy photography the drawn or painted portrait holds pride of place in this regard.
It is a unique, one-off creation which cannot be exactly replicated. No kind of photographic reproduction can convey fully the subtleties of the artist’s work.
The portrait also has the advantage of longevity. Many works of art will last for centuries and can, like a fine wine, even gain special qualities with the passage of time.
In addition to these characteristics there is often a sense of awe and mystery surrounding a portrait. Anyone who has closely studied an old painting finds themselves somehow drawn into the work - often reflecting on the stories or events surrounding the subject or the artist who painted it.
SEE COMMISSION PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO COMMISSION A PORTRAIT