I painted this for my Dad’s 70th birthday, having been inspired to pick up my paintbrushes again by David Hockney’s absolutely fascinating book, Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the lost techniques of the Old Masters, in which he posits that there is clear evidence in the work of the Old Masters that they made great use of optics to support and enhance their artistry.
This book appears to have caused a lot of controversy amongst the artistic community at the time, but it certainly encouraged me to look afresh at some wonderful paintings and still left me with a sense of awe about the skills involved in creating them.
Having painted my Dad’s portrait, I followed in quick succession with portraits of my mate, Rob, and my wife, Netty, using the same grisaille style.
