BP Portrait Award 2011

Paintings are mostly lost on me. Portraits confuse me. Generally I am more drawn to photography and film as a medium. Painting is a skill. A skill I don't have. Or maybe it is a patience I don't have?
If I could and loved it.. I probably would paint more.
I am not sure how they pick these portraits, it must be a mammoth challenge? Some I like. Some I don't.
"Holly" the second prize winner I thought was beautiful.
I was also surprised to see a familiar face hanging on the wall. That of David Carter. The thing about seeing a painted portrait of someone is that it has some kind of authority and grandeur that you don;t link with people you might actually know face to face... even though Mr Carter is more than GRAND!
I would go see... It's interesting because we forget where art comes from. We forget there are still artists painting portraits and self training and artists from all over the world just loving there craft and wanting it to be seen. Whatever you think of the painted portrait. This is good. And I love people, I think any portrait is a celebration of this.

"HOLLY" by Louis Smith.. described by the Independent's Jonathon Jones as "a retro-academic soft- porn fantasy" (and in a good way)  is definitely my favourite.