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Portrait Gallery Day Out

If you live in Edinburgh, or just visiting experiencing some of the amazing art we have here is a must. 1 Queen St, Edinburgh EH2 1JD. I came to the portrait gallery to begin the research aspect of my summer project for college. My project centres around the theme 'For Sale.' The approach that i have taken is to explore how i sell myself to other people, compared to how i am in real life. For example, when someone takes my photo, how do i position myself that makes me look good for the camera.

The portrait gallery was a great start for me. Through out the gallery, there is a mix between deliberate poses, and capturing people in their natural state. This is exactly the kind of thing i want to consider through my topic. This piece, by

Nicola Benedetti CBE (born 1987) by Calum Stevenson
Nicola Benedetti CBE (born 1987) by Calum Stevenson

This piece by Calum Stevenson spoke out to me the most. Not just because i am a lover of music, but the way they used small squares and rectangles to capture the lighting and shadows is a really unique style to capture this perspective. The limited colour pallet is very eye catching, and really caught my attention when walking past it - this is what drew me to the piece in the first place.


Labour of Love by Michael Youds
Labour of Love by Michael Youds

Labour of Love by Michael Youds. The detail in this painting was unbelievable. This piece is of Tommy Robertson, the owner of Backtracks Music Film & Games. What stood out to me the most about this piece was the amazing detail that Youds captured. He didn't miss a beat when painting each and everything in this place. The painting makes the environment feel comfortable and friendly, and i defiantly want to go visit this place one day. The highlights and textures are so photorealistic, a very impressive piece. My favourite part of this piece is all the Beatles products, i love that!


I would really recommend visiting the Portrait gallery. Whether you are an artist, or an art lover, i truly feel that there is something in it for everyone. This place is completely free entry, open to all members of the public.



Artist Take aways

From this experience, there is a few things i take away from this.

  • I want to experiment on a larger scale rather than always sticking to A5, A4 and A3

  • I want to further explore using a minimal colour pallet

  • I want to conintue to document, and keep applying to open calls/ exhibitions

  • This has reminded me how importrant presentation is through out my artist jounrey


 
 
 

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