We Are (2019)Oil painting by Jo Beer

I love faces, every character is different, each one has something unique about them.

I painted a broad spectrum of people for a portrait project last year. This piece is on a larger scale than most.

It is a luxurious feeling being able to paint a face to the scale of the man here. I use fairly broad brush strokes generally - I like to keep areas of tone very defined. It is more descriptive and expressive. I like to leave alone the blues, khaki, olive, lilac - flesh colours that are essential and deserve to stand proud.

This couple are soul mates. I wanted to paint them in a way that both are equally significant, and this composition is unashamedly stolen form Abba's 'Knowing Me Knowing You' video - Abba fans will know what I mean.

Midnight blue background mirrors his shirt but also illuminates their wonderful faces. It is an imposing portrait, but I love it for that - there is a lot of information there.

Edges midnight blue.

Materials used:

oil

Details:

• Oil painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 90 x 70 x 2cm (unframed)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the front
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: People and portraits

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