Proserpina from the statue by Bernini Drawing

In an age of social media and selfie sticks, the image we portray of ourselves can be a little superficial – more focussed on what we do than who we are, what we think or how we feel. In her work as a portrait painter, Felicity Gill captures more than just fleeting moments, we get to see more facets and dimensions of the subject’s ‘being’ than you’d ever find on their Instagram. In her figurative paintings she experiments with a looser gestural approach, exploring how to paint vulnerability and emotion, often showing emotion through painting the touch of a hand on skin. The intention is for the flow of the paint to lead the viewer’s eye around the painting until it settles on a feature which comes into focus such as an eye or a hand, allowing them to fill in the fuller picture. A figurative artist and portrait painter based in Kent, Felicity has exhibited with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters at The Mall Galleries in London and the Medici Gallery, Cork Street, London. “Already a hugely talented and successful portrait artist, it feels as if Felicity Gill is on the cusp of a major breakthrough in her painting career. Her portfolio includes fresh depictions of the likes of Joan Bakewell and Boris Johnson.’’ Steve Pill, Editor, Artist and Illustrators magazine 2019