A Portrait Marathon at Green Acres, Wexford

In July 2022, as part of Wexford’s ‘Art in the Open’ painting festival, I painted 28 portraits over three days. The event took place at Green Acres Gallery in Wexford Town. The portraits were painted in oils and took roughly half an hour.

It’s certainly hard work painting so many portraits in such a short time and there are limitations to such fast methods of painting, but on the other hand it’s a more democratic, informal and direct approach to portraiture. I think some of the spontaneity and excitement of situation gets into the painting. And then there’s the issue of cost. I sell most of my paintings for thousands or even tens of thousands and I need to because they take weeks, months or even years to paint. But working really quickly, I can bring the price right down, putting them in reach of people with a very modest budget. And I like that. I’ve never liked the idea that only rich people can afford my work. So I think it’s a worthwhile and enjoyable enterprise for all involved. I’ll certainly be doing more!

If you’d like me to do a portrait marathon in your area, let me know!