Helen Ridley Illustration

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Why I Love Illustrating Live Portraits

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to exhibit at the wonderful Caversham Arts Trail in Reading. I was based at venue 1 with fellow female artists Sue Bridge, Andrea White and Ann Davis.

Sue Bridge and Me at Venue 1 on the Caversham Arts Trail

Whilst this was a great opportunity to exhibit my abstract watercolour paintings, I also decided to offer live portrait illustrations. I can create fun and colourful stylised portraits in 10-15 minutes using watercolours and fine liner pens.

It turned out that the portraits were incredibly popular. Lots of people chose to have their portraits painted with their dogs or children, and I also illustrated a set of twins and triplets! This is a new style of illustration for me but I have enjoyed it so much that I have decided to start offering it as a service that can be booked for weddings and events.

A portrait of twin boys that I created at the Caversham Arts Trail 2022

I love meeting new people through painting portraits. People often tell such interesting stories about their lives when they sit for a portrait. It’s also wonderful to see the joy that my portraits can bring when I do the big reveal!

I’ve created a new page on my website with more information and details of the packages that I offer.

I’ve also created a listing in my shop for 10 minute portraits that I can create from photographs. These would be perfect for a birthday, anniversary at wedding present.