My daughter had a daughter this year. This was wonderful and life-changing, scary and shocking – and utterly normal in the scheme of things. It seemed important to respond in all ways that I could. One of which was to paint a portrait of Florence, the new arrival.
I wanted to capture the newborn-ness of Florence, the particular colour and smallness of the brand new person. New born babies change quickly and cannot be required to hold a sustained pose. So I used a quick sketch backed up by photos to create an initial charcoal blocking figure.
Using acrylics, I then blocked in the main colours, giving particular attention to the baby itself and holding back on the surrounding features: the mother’s arm and chest, the sheet, the background. I discovered at this stage that the two hospital bands, which I had intended to paint out, gave a particular poignancy to the picture.
I then used a smaller brush to reduce the blockiness of the baby’s skin, to mediate some of the darker areas, and to make some adjustments to the form so that the likeness was strengthened. Babies do not all look alike! – and a portrait of Florence needed to look like Florence. Her mother confirmed at this stage that I’d got it right.
Though the previous stage had an accuracy and drama to it, there was a darkness in the background and overall that did not suit the subject. I experimented with a series of changes to colour of the sheet and in the top right corner, then lifted the tonal value across the piece to give it a greater overall lightness. I left the mother and the background unresolved so that the baby holds the focus.
finished work: Florence (2023), acrylic on board, 50 x 37cm
Peter Gelf 