'A portrait is a painting that has something wrong with its mouth' said the portraitist Nicky Philipps before she commenced painting me for the portrait that she successfully entered to the BP Portrait Award at the National Gallery. She was maybe covering herself before she completed my portrait, but in this case she was wrong.
However, for me as an artist it couldn't have been more true. My patron said they loved the portrait I had completed, but 'wanted something done about the mouth'. This was some weeks ago and yesterday was the first time that they had been able to sit for some months since I'd delivered the finished product. I was happy with it but now I'm not sure I am after the changes I've now made.
It was a tough way to spend the morning before I retreated to Bar Boulud at the ground floor of the Mandarin Hyde Park. It was like entering a spa after the chaos of getting there. Cool calm and collected and beautifully run by Paulo who had been persuaded to leave the Wolseley to launch this new and wonderfully impressive restaurant.
In the early evening I met Liz Hoggard outside the very attractive new maze in Trafalgar Square...what an inspired and original project....heaving with tourists getting lost just like they had all day in the real streets of London.
I quick ride in the lift of the Trafalgar Hotel (corner of the square and Cockspur Street) took us up to the Vista Bar on the roof of the hotel to provide us with cocktails on the roof. The view is totally original and will become a classic in time to come. It provided an even more impressive view of the maze
After the sudden and dramtic downpoor - driving rain we scurried away like a scene from the Poseiden Adventure (more the decor than the water) to immediately arranged tables in the bar on the ground floor.... I was most concerned about our dinner in the Chelsea Physic Garden that Liz had booked for 7.45pm to be ahead of those more committed hoticulturists who where there to attend a lecture before their dinner at 8pm.
What a special and fun dinner it was too...lobsters served simply and probably the juciest that I have ever known more than a few hundred yards from the sea let alone central London. The service was personal and caring and not without charm... We were in a tent with a sense of occasion...like being at a wedding but without the need to leave our quiet table to make conversation with other guests.
After dinner drinks were has a stone's throw away on board the beautiful yacht MY Deborah as guest of our host Ben Gordon.
A lovely London evening
However, for me as an artist it couldn't have been more true. My patron said they loved the portrait I had completed, but 'wanted something done about the mouth'. This was some weeks ago and yesterday was the first time that they had been able to sit for some months since I'd delivered the finished product. I was happy with it but now I'm not sure I am after the changes I've now made.
It was a tough way to spend the morning before I retreated to Bar Boulud at the ground floor of the Mandarin Hyde Park. It was like entering a spa after the chaos of getting there. Cool calm and collected and beautifully run by Paulo who had been persuaded to leave the Wolseley to launch this new and wonderfully impressive restaurant.
In the early evening I met Liz Hoggard outside the very attractive new maze in Trafalgar Square...what an inspired and original project....heaving with tourists getting lost just like they had all day in the real streets of London.
I quick ride in the lift of the Trafalgar Hotel (corner of the square and Cockspur Street) took us up to the Vista Bar on the roof of the hotel to provide us with cocktails on the roof. The view is totally original and will become a classic in time to come. It provided an even more impressive view of the maze
After the sudden and dramtic downpoor - driving rain we scurried away like a scene from the Poseiden Adventure (more the decor than the water) to immediately arranged tables in the bar on the ground floor.... I was most concerned about our dinner in the Chelsea Physic Garden that Liz had booked for 7.45pm to be ahead of those more committed hoticulturists who where there to attend a lecture before their dinner at 8pm.
What a special and fun dinner it was too...lobsters served simply and probably the juciest that I have ever known more than a few hundred yards from the sea let alone central London. The service was personal and caring and not without charm... We were in a tent with a sense of occasion...like being at a wedding but without the need to leave our quiet table to make conversation with other guests.
After dinner drinks were has a stone's throw away on board the beautiful yacht MY Deborah as guest of our host Ben Gordon.
A lovely London evening