Original artwork description:

This is one of a series of portrait paintings I painted recently which use local Swansea people as my models. The people are everyday people who work in shops, the post office, cafes or people I meet on the street and simply want to paint as I like their faces.
I love the idea of painting common people as much portraiture traditionally is associated with the famous, rich or with status.
I liked to debunk that idea and make the ordinary, extraordinary.
I loved the reaction of the people painted when they saw their portraits. After all, it is not everyday than an artist paints one’s portrait. I hope I caught the essence, the inner dignity of all my subjects, of the beauty within us all. It was a special project.
The delight at watching a person’s face as they first gazed on their own portrait made it all the worthwhile. I loved the incongruity of it.

The quiet smile of the title belongs to Jess, an attractive young student who worked in a local cafe while studying at University.

Materials used:

oil painting on linen canvas

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