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70Meet this month’s editor’s choice winner from our PaintersOnline gallery
PaintersOnline editor’s choice
February 2021TAp Katie Ray Musings, oil on canvas, 20 3 16in (51 3 40.5cm)O
il painter, Katie Ray, was
inspired to rekindle her
passion for painting by a
move to a Victorian house.
Wanting to embellish her home with
furniture, decorations and paintings
that were in keeping with the property,
she began experimenting with bringing
together antique and modern, workingon traditional oil portraits with a
contemporary feel. Here she explains
how she set about painting her young
daughter in lockdown.
‘Musings was painted during the first
lockdown. I looked close to home for a
subject as I suspect many of us had to.
My daughter, Scarlett, was willing and
able so she became my model. Portraitsare my main focus and characters,
settings, clothes and costumes are all
important to me. I work as a costume
designer – concentrating on making and
designing corsets, hence my interest
in the theatrical. I don’t adhere to the
current trend of painting someone like
they’ve just got out of bed; I’m much
more about dressing up and having fun
with creating moods
‘This painting is very simple – the
polka dot shirt being enough of a
focal point alongside the narrative of
lockdown and the effect on children. I
hope I conveyed some of the doubts
and worries of an 11-year-old in this
current climate but also, perhaps,
looking forward to the future too. I try
to use strong lighting to add depth and
drama and hope the painting has a
timeless quality.
‘I very much like traditional or
academic art and I’m striving to get as
technically good as possible, always
thinking about how to improve on the
previous painting. When I first started
painting to fit and fill the splendour of
our Victorian home, I wanted large oil
paintings to hang throughout the house.
Not being able to find or afford the type
of paintings I was looking for I became
inspired to paint in a style loosely in
keeping with the property’s period.
‘We live in Hastings, which fortunately
has a very strong Arts base with some
notable female artists. My aim is to
put together a group show locally of
various styles and ideas when current
restrictions are eased enough to make
that possible. I’m always looking for
ways to exhibit so please get in touch if
you have any ideas.
‘Portraiture has become more
important in my life since the lockdown
as commissions through my website
have increased and painting every day
has become my work’s focus. Please
take a look at http://www.katierayart.co.uk
on Facebook @katierayartist and on
Instagram @katierayart to see examples
of my other work.’To upload your own images to our online
gallery, with an opportunity of being selected
as the editor’s choice, visit
http://www.painters-online.co.uk