BP Portrait 2015 - Artists with their paintings

Here are some of the artists who have a portrait in the BP Portrait Exhibition. I've ordered the artists by country. Click the images to see a larger version.

You can also view the websites of more of the artists selected for this year's exhibition via my earlier post Selected Artists - BP Portrait Award 2015.

Leslie Watts (Canada)

Charlotte and Emily by Leslie Watts
Egg Tempera on claybord

This is the delightful Canadian artist Leslie Watts with her portrait of "Charlotte and Emily". It's a diptych painted using egg tempera on clayboard. She had the arched frames made specially and the reverse of the portrait is padded and upholstered with beautiful red material. If you get to the exhibition take a peek - you can just see it if you put your head against the wall. Plus note the uncanny way the girls come out of their frames! This is her blog Leslie Watts Portraits and this is her Twitter account.

If you're wondering about Leslie's T shirt, the motif belongs to a new art society - the International Midnight Painters' Society - ask her about it via Twitter!

Jorge Abbad Jaime de Aragón (Spain)

Natalia by Jorge Abbad-Jaime de Aragón Córdoba
oil on canvas

This is Jorge Abbad-Jaime de Aragón Córdoba and this is a portrait of his wife, Natalia Sanchez. She sent me the photographs of Jorge with his portrait of her. In this portrait he chose to explore two particular challenges for artists - the foreshortening of the sitter’s knees and the accurate depiction of human flesh.

Jorge was also selected for the BP Portrait Award in 2014 - again with a portrait of his wife.

Jorge studied fine arts at Complutense University of Madrid. His work has been seen in group exhibitions in Malaga and Madrid. This is his Facebook Page

Salvador Antúnez Del Cerro (Spain)

Family Portrait by by Salvador Antúnez del Cerro
oil on wooden board

Salvador Antúnez Del Cerro undertook a BA in Fine Art at the Complutense University of Madrid. This is his portrait of his family - his grandparents, father, aunt and uncle.  Unfortunately Salvador does not speak English so I don't know a lot more about him.  However I do know his grandmother María Caracena - who is seated - died shortly afterwards.

Lee Simmonds (UK)

A portrait of Ben the Masseur by Lee Myles Simmonds
oil on canvas

I was particularly keen to meet 18 year old Lee Myles Simmonds who's just left school and is about to start Foundation Year at Farnham. His work was selected for the Royal Academy of Arts online summer exhibitions in 2012 and 2013.

He has painted a portrait that a lot of professional artists would be proud to have painted. His portrayal of texture and subtle colouring on the skin is wonderful plus he's absolutely nailed the texture of the clothing.

I've got a video interview of him which will be processed in the next few days.

Raoof Haghighi (Iran / UK)

The Reader by Raoof Haghighi

oil on canvas board 500x700mm

This is Raoof Haghighi and his self portrait titled "The Reader". He was the London Heat Winner of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2014 and the overall winner of Artist & Artists And Illustrators Magazine Artist of the Year in 2011 and has previously been shown in BP Portrait Award in 2011. This is his Facebook Page

Raoof is delivering one of the days of a Weekend Workshop BP Portrait Award 2015 (Day One) on the 11 July

Comhghall Casey (UK / Northern Ireland)

"Self Portrait" by Comghghall Casey
Oil on Aluminium, 35x28 cms

This is Comhghall Casey from Northern Ireland - with his self-portrait. Comhghall has been selected twice before for the BP in 2002 and 2013. He always does a self-portrait. I learned that Comhghall is pronounced like 'Cole' or 'ku-woll' - and that Comhghall didn't know that the BP Portrait Award will tour to Northern Ireland next year when he entered. The BP Portrait Award exhibition will tour to

• Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh (10.10.15–28.2.16)
• Ulster Museum, Belfast (11 Mar –12 Jun 2016.)

Maud C. Bryt (USA)

Nana by Maud Bryt
oil on canvas

This is American artist Maud C Bryt with her portrait painting of "Nana" (a.k.a. Bunny Bryt February 14, 1923 - May 8, 2015). Maud has also made a tribute video about Nana - and you can check out the likeness!   Maud graduated from Harvard University with a BA cum laude in English and American Literature and Language in 1987 followed by a MFA Sculpture New York Studio School, New York which Maud completed in 2014.

Kelly Carmody (USA)

Father and Son by Kelly Carmody

oil on linen, 1778mm x 1320mm

This is Kelly Carmody with her portrait of "Father and son".  She's currently a semi-finalist in the fourth Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, to be held in the USA in 2016. This is her Facebook Page

She has a BA at the University of Massachusetts and has studied at the studio of Numael Pulido and at the Art Students League of New York.

David Jon Kassan (USA)

This is David Jon Kassan who won third prize in 2014 with a portrait of his mother. This is a "Portrait of Sam Goldofsky, Survivor of Auschwitz".  It's one portrait from a major project David is undertaking to record the remaining survivors of the Holocaust.

"Portrait of Sam Goldofsky, Survivor of Auschwitz"
by David Jon Kassan
(oil on acrylic mirror, 410mm x 210mm)

Jordan Sokol (USA)

Tenold by Jordan Sokol

This is Jordan Sokol and his portrait of his friend and fellow artist Tenold. Jordan is the Academic Director of the USA Branch of the Florence Academy of Art, where he used to study. Jordan does not yet have a website or a Facebook Page.