This post is about portraits of Older People.
I'm also posting larger images to my Making A Mark Facebook Page with shorter profiles.
My photographs were taken at the Private View and Press View associated with the opening of the exhibition back in June.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
TIP - Be sure to pay particular attention to the skin of older people and their heads and hands. Heads, hair and hands are basics which you must get right. Those grey hairs, saggy bits and wrinkles have all been hard earned over the years and deserve to be rendered both faithfully and sympathetically - which Chloe did extremely well!
Other posts are:
- Portraits of Children (and Parents)
- Portraits of Older People (this post)
COMING SOON: to be published
- Self Portraits
- Portraits of Women
- Portraits of Men
- Portraits of Groups
I'm also posting larger images to my Making A Mark Facebook Page with shorter profiles.
My photographs were taken at the Private View and Press View associated with the opening of the exhibition back in June.
Portraits of Older People
- Three of the four artists shown below have known their subjects for very many years. In two instances they are painting parents.
- Two of the four portraits below include two people. It's unusual for a portrait selected for this competition to involve more than one person - although that might say more about what is submitted rather than what is selected.
- It's not unusual for there to be paintings of older people in this competition and those who paint older people seem to do well.
The first portrait in this post is by the second prizewinner, Chloe Cox - who painted two people she did not know before she painted them! Just to prove that an observed association does not always apply!
Chloe Cox
Judges Note: Second Prize
Chloe Cox's "What's Mine is Yours" is a beautifully painted and life-affirming double portrait, notable for its exceptionally accomplished technique and sensitivity of handling.The judges were particularly struck by the sense of joy and uplift that the work conveys, as well as the palpable connection and love between the sitters.
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What's Mine is Yours Oil on canvas (2024) 90 x 60 cm | 35.4 x 23.6 in © Chloe Cox |
Chloe Cox (b.1997) is a self-taught artist who studied English literature with creative writing. She was invited by His Majesty the King to create a new portrait for the Royal Collection Trust for the exhibition Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation, seen at the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the National Portrait Gallery, London (2023-24). She was included in the Jackson's Art Prize 2025, winning the People's Choice Award.
This portrait is of two people that Chloe Cox did not know.
She was invited to take part in the BBC television series Extraordinary Portraits and this led to Chloe Cox being paired with Marva and Lionel Warmington to create their portrait.
The couple have fostered more than 200 teenagers over the past 30 years, providing culturally sensitive care for vulnerable young people from a variety of backgrounds. Cox was filmed meeting the Warmingtons for their sitting as their conversation helped her decide on a format for the portrait. She says:
'What struck me most was the balance between Marva and Lionel as a couple. She is more outgoing and full of ideas. He is the quiet, steady presence. I felt the portrait needed to show that harmony. Their love story hasn't just sustained their marriage, it has created stability and belonging for hundreds of young people."
The emotional content of the relationship between these two individuals also reads extremely well - and is unusual in the context of this competition. Question: Do you need two people to convey emotional content?
Also, I note from the photo above that the heads are both close too life size, maybe a tad larger, which means on the wall they "speak to you" very easily.
In addition to the Judges Comment above, I think the Judges may well have also been rather impressed by her handling of their heads, hair and their hands. So here's two close-ups that I took! I also thought the careful consideration given to the tonal palette was very helpful. Nothing jarred the eye.
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| Marva and Lionel Warmington - Heads from What's Mine is Yours Oil on canvas (2024) 90 x 60 cm | 35.4 x 23.6 in © Chloe Cox |
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| Marva and Lionel Warmington - Hands from What's Mine is Yours Oil on canvas (2024) 90 x 60 cm | 35.4 x 23.6 in © Chloe Cox |
I'm not in the least bit surprised that Chloe Cox was a prizewinner. She deserved it. After the third prize announcement, I really did not know which portrait was going to get the top prize.
