grandfather Archives

A Handful of Love is the fifth in what will be a series of six hands studies that I am creating.

A Handful of Love is, I think, a universally understood study of intergenerational connection. Ever since I was a young child I have always had a great love for the older generations. Not only my own grandparents, but for my elders in general. Ageing has never daunted me and I love spending time with those who are a lot older than I. In this image I see the calm of that bond, the two people seated by one another reaching across the divide and sharing a moment, an experience and love.

A Handful of Love also puts me in mind of similarity before difference. It is all too easy to be focussed on what differentiates up from those around us, but if we choose to look we will find far more that unites than ever separates.

Once the full series of hands studies has been completed, I will make available limited edition prints and greetings cards of A Handful of Faith and others.

Pre-orders are being taken now for prints of A Handful of Chillies, A Handful of Salt, A Handful of Lotus Seeds, A Handful of Faith and A Handful of Love. Please get in touch to order yours.

Many thanks go to Réhahn Photography for his inspiring reference images.

Here is the beginning of the fifth and the penultimate study in this series of hands portraits, A Handful of Love. As with it’s predecessors, this artwork is in pastel on Pastelmat.

The tremendous bond that grandparents and grandchildren can have is well known, there is something special in that reaching across the generations. A Handful of Love captures this for me; the love that can exist between two people in very different stages of their lives, and the joy and comfort that each gives to the other.

It also reminds me of similarity before difference. It is all too easy to be focussed on what differentiates up from those around us, but if we choose to look we will find far more that unites than ever separates.

What you see here is the artwork after hours (I don’t know how many, I prefer not to count) of blocking in. This is a process where I mark out the main shapes with an emphasis on the larger forms and the most pronounced highlights and shadows. I have begun to blend the colours on the child’s arm, this skin being so smooth will be easier to capture on the page than much of the rest of the picture so I am starting there as a warm-up exercise of sorts.

The first four pastel paintings in this series are A Handful of Chillies, A Handful of Salt, A Handful of Lotus Seeds and A Handful of Faith.

Many thanks go to Réhahn Photography for his inspiring reference images.