Mum at the RA
Ruby, Year 13
This painting was inspired by a photograph of my mum in the cafe at the RA. The gallery is often my starting point for inspiration, with the Lucian Freud exhibition captivating my interest in portraiture to depict an individual. For this piece, while my mum is the central focus, the use of colours was extremely important in bringing her to life on the page. The contemporary portraiture of David Hockney influenced my technique heavily as I am often drawn to his use of colour and positioning to explore individuality. The painting shows my mum, still and calm, against the backdrop of a bright wall, and sat on the red chair from the RA cafe. This photograph was the starting point that inspired my A level art portraiture unit, through which I told the story of my family members through paintings unified by a constant colour palette.