The first layers of watercolours were added, and then the paper was prepared to hold oil paints for the background, clothes and some hair. I had my reading glasses re made as bifocals so that I can frequently look up and down for portrait painting. Just loving my new Tiffany glasses and they have a strong blue tint for my Irlen Syndrome too.

I was so impressed with how clearly I could see details on a reference photo with my new glasses that I ended up altering my style to a tighter, more cartoon like image, which I personally do NOT prefer. So in future I will return to loosening up my paintings and perhaps take off the specks now and then to paint with my existing slightly blurred vision.

‘Pylon the Entertainment’ – this portrait of Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby has two different electricity pylons in the background. After almost a century of the “Lattice” pylons the National Grid decided a new “T-pylon” design was required as we move away from coal and towards other forms of generation such as wind, solar and nuclear. The first “T-pylon” was in Nottinghamshire April 2015, and has they have since been nicknamed Pat Butchers earrings LOL. It is also a change of background from buildings to fields because the usual ITV building is now closed down and ITV has moved, after almost half a century.

I like to add slight details which capture something about our way of life, it’s kind of like leaving a visual post it note for the future generations, as paintings live a lot longer than we do.

Watercolours and oil paints, 12″ x 9″ on canvas by Sophie Huddlestone.