Iconic
My latest painting, Audrey (2018), is a tribute to an icon who was more than just a pretty face.
Audrey Hepburn was an actress and renowned humanitarian, with her own sense of style. Not only that, she was a polyglot. She spoke English, Dutch, German, Italian, French and Spanish fluently.
She began her career as a ballerina but she was considered too tall to be successful. Furthermore, after living in Nazi-occupied Holland for the duration of the war, she had experienced malnutrition.
This impacted her ability to dance and led her to an unintended career as an actress. Yet Audrey was extremely talented in this profession. She was one of only a dozen people to win Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards.
Humanitarian
But while she was still at the height of her popularity, she turned her back on acting to become an ambassador for UNICEF.
Audrey worked for the remainder of her life as an humanitarian. Her desire to help others began during the Second World War.
Although she was only in her teens, she performed in ballet recitals and donated her earnings to the Dutch Resistance effort.
Initially, I decided to paint Audrey (2018), because I was drawn in by the beautiful symmetry of her face and its range of expression.
I had always admired Audrey Hepburn for her inimitable style and innate elegance but knowing her story added an extra element of emotion.
Like with many of my recent paintings, I used an old black and white photograph for inspiration. In this case, I remixed the pattern from a dress she wore in the 1954 film, ‘Sabrina’, instead of that from the original image.
In Audrey (2018), I kept both my palette and the composition uncomplicated, in order to allow her character to shine. My painting pays tribute to a talented and compassionate woman who sought to improve the lives of others and shows that beauty is not just skin deep.