Katie Ray Musings, oil on canvas, 20316in (51340.5cm
Oil painter, Katie Ray, was inspired to rekindle her passion for painting by a move to a Victorian house. Wanting to embellish her home with furniture, decorations and paintings that were in keeping with the property, she began experimenting with bringing together antique and modern, working on traditional oil portraits with a contemporary feel. Here she explains how she set about painting her young daughter in lockdown
‘Musings was painted during the first lockdown. I looked close to home for a subject as I suspect many of us had to. My daughter, Scarlett, was willing and able so she became my model. Portraits are my main focus and characters, settings, clothes and costumes are all important to me. I work as a costume designer - concentrating on making and designing corsets, hence my interest in the theatrical. I don’t adhere to the current trend of painting someone like they’ve just got out of bed; I’m much more about dressing up and having fun with creating moods