Maggi

I have been drawing and painting from life with Maggi Hambling for 2 years now. Not only do I consider her a great mentor and influence but i also count her as a friend.

(above) Maggi Hambling, Jemma Seated.

My first contact with her as an artist was in the Tate Britain when i was quite young, i remember being very affected by this tender portrait of her neighbour Frances Rose (below). The first thing that drew me too it at that young age was the brilliance of the blue jumper (which has been slightly lost in translation with this photo reproduction), then those hands, i can remember those hands staying with me for a long time. I have always believed that what you can't explain with words you must paint, there is an unexplainable aspect to every thing in this world that is both haunting and beautiful at the same time and i believe that Maggi has crossed this barrier so naturally in this particular painting, as Van Gogh so eloquently puts it "there's nothing sad in this death, it goes its way in broad daylight with a sun flooding everything with a light of pure gold"

(below) These are two recent paintings that i have doone in her class, both are oil on canvas board, one is of Matthew with his back to the window of the studio and the other is of Andrea (twice) with Jelly on the left of the picture and myself on the right.