At our last meeting of the Society's summer programme, the members were captivated by a masterful demonstration of portrait painting in pastel. Rob was born in South Africa to an English mother & South African father. He grew up in South Africa but after finishing his education, travelled extensively, receiving private tuition from various portrait painters in the USA & Europe, as well as studying the techniques of traditional classical painting. He became a professional portrait painter at the age of 23 and since then has had a very fulfilling career spanning over 40 years. He painted our youngest member Charley, who was heroic in sitting on a very hot evening, under a blazing light!! We were not able to project the session, and this was unfortunate, however the demonstration was stunning, as we watched Charley appear, fresh, lively and beautifully painted. Thank you Rob…
Words and photos by Jude Harrington-Smith