Retrospective is a look back at 2016. It was a wonderful year for art and making the world a more beautiful place, one portrait at a time.
After opening Artist at Work, my painting Trump (2016) was shortlisted for an Emerging Artist Award. It was a great experience exhibiting my art and receiving such positive feedback from the public.
I finished another piece, Tess (2016), after an extended period of time. This painting was selected to be displayed in the Bayswater Art Awards and featured in the artist’s catalogue of works.
Talking Portfolio
I wanted to tell the story of my portfolio, so I created a Talking Portfolio. There are eight episodes and accompanying blog posts including special extras.
 Family |  The Boxer |  Expectations |
 Timeless |  I Am Erik |  Photobooth |
 Lollypop |  Boy in Blue |
The complete Talking Portfolio series is available to watch below.
Behind the Painting
This video series was designed to show the progression a major painting may go through before it is finished.
 | Trump (2016) In the lead up the Presidential Election, I decided to paint Donald Trump because I found him controversial and I thought he would end up getting elected, and I was right! Especially, I wanted to capture Trump’s loud personality and his trademark hair. |
| I Am Erik (2016) When I painted I Am Erik, I used a special colour blind palette. Because the subject had protanopia or red colour blindness, the colours on the red spectrum were avoided and blues and yellows were emphasized, as these could be easily seen. |
 | Tess (2016) Tess was a painting I completed over a longer period of time. I used bright colours because I wanted this piece to be really fun. In addition, I experimented with skin tone in this piece and loved the result. |
 | Raf (2016) This was a piece commissioned by my older brother, Raf. Many people know him as a businessman, but I wanted to show his more relaxed side. I enjoyed the challenge of painting a shaved head and a hairy chest. |
The complete Behind the Painting series is available to watch below.
Made to Order
So often people wonder how I create my paintings, which is why I took time lapse footage of the creative process. Made to Order shows how I paint commission portraits on canvas panels. You can order your own too and become art!
 | Cigar (2016) Cigar was my first canvas panel piece, completed on a medium sized panel. The picture is based on a selfie my grandfather took in his photographic studio. It has always been a favourite of mine and I wanted to display it in my studio to inspire me. |
 | Lylah (2016) Lylah was another commission piece and a very cute painting to bring to life. I enjoyed working in bright colours. I did this one on a small canvas panel and it was just the right size for a little child. |
 | Nonna (2016) This was a very special commission piece to honour Nonna, a much beloved grandmother. I truly loved capturing the spirit of Nonna, using a medium sized canvas board. In particular, I made sure to include her elegant clothing and accessories. The painting will be a tribute to her for generations to come. |
 | The Man (2016) Painting The Man helped me to develop a new and unusual palette. It began as a black and white piece but then I added in very subtle shades of blue and yellow, with just a hint of pink. For this painting, I used a large canvas board so I could capture more detail and I loved the result. |
 | Afia (2016) I was inspired by the story of Afia, a baby gorilla whose mother had been too sick to care for her, but who had thrived against all odds. I used a small canvas board to capture both her innocence and her spirit of survival. It was a painting to symbolise the end of a year and to bring hope for 2017. |
The complete Made to Order series is available to watch below.
Thanks for looking back at 2016 in my Retrospective! And remember, in 2017, together we can make the world a more beautiful place, one portrait at a time.