Rosanna Chittenden: Portraits, Paintings And Drawings
Tuesday: 09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday: 09:00 - 16:00
Thursday: 09:00 - 16:00
Friday: 09:00 - 16:00
Saturday: -
Sunday: -
About Rosanna Chittenden: Portraits, Paintings And Drawings
Painter specialising in oil or pastel portraits of adults, children, families and animals
https://www. rchittenden. co. uk
Rosanna Chittenden: Portraits, Paintings And Drawings Description
About Me
I am a professional artist based in South West England. Though I have quite an extensive portfolio of other work which is all based on my love of the human figure, I am best known for my oil or pastel portraits. I paint portraits of adults, children, family groups, and animals.
Why Portraits?
I love the challenge involved in painting or drawing a portrait. It is so much more than just delivering a physical likeness. It is an incredibly delicate process that consumes you at every level. You have to step inside; see into the soul and try and convey this on a 2 dimensional surface using sticks of colour. It is fascinating to see other members of the family appear on the canvas fleetingly as the portrait develops.
Changing subject matter, media and scale keeps the energy flowing. Each format brings its own challenges. Whether capturing the freshness of a child's face in pastel whilst avoiding the 'chocolate box'; painting a portrait of a young person on the cusp of adulthood or a portrait of a man or woman with decades of life experience; whether representing the family dynamics in a large scale group portrait or portraying the real person behind the businessman in a corporate portrait; or capturing the essence of much loved horse or dog in an animal portrait, I try to let the subject matter dictate the style rather than impose my style on the subject.
What They Say
"Portraits can sometimes be disappointing but always a point of comment. In all your portraits that I have seen, they are not only works of art but you have the extraordinary ability to capture the expression, which makes you, as a portrait painter, stand apart from so many others" (Antonia Davies, Warwicks)
How I Work
Whilst I am happy to work from life, increasingly I work from photographs that I take. This suits the sitter as it is far less demanding on time and energy. And it suits me as it makes it easier to juggle with my 'other' life as a mother! As a rule of thumb I need one half-day sitting during which I get to know the sitter, take a large portfolio of photographs, make colour notes etc. We then select a photograph between us that best describes the sitter. And then I am left to get on with the job. Usually these sittings take place at my studio where the light is good, but on some occasions, ie for the bigger portraits of adults or for family portraits, I travel to the sitter.
The Catchment
Strictly speaking there is no catchment. Since there is only one sitting needed, it is a question of how far you are prepared to travel. While it's true that a lot of my portrait commissions come from the West Country - Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Surrey many come from further afield - London, Suffolk, Sussex, Essex, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and London, and some venture from all four corners of the UK and Europe.
Contact
Should you be interested in commissioning a portrait please visit my website www. rchittenden. co. uk and contact me from there, or email me on portraits@rchittenden. co. uk for more information.
Reviews
This beautiful woman was not keen to have her portrait painted! Her husband commissioned me to paint her but didn't inform me of her reluctance until I was about 10 minutes away from their house.
With some trepidation as to how I was going to handle this scenario, I arrived laden with all my kit and was greeted by her slightly apologetic husband. It appeared my subject had gone out. I wondered if she had taken to the hills and might not actually return. And, should she return..., would I be met with a stony faced and uncooperative sitter? Fortunately, all fears were dismissed when she bounced back into the house with such a warm smile that it was hard to believe that she was indeed such an unwilling subject.
Small, vital, beautiful, warm and completely delightful. I loved her immediately.
Read more about the making of this portrait on https://www.rchittenden.co.uk/hetta-at-ho me/
See More
OIL PORTRAITS OF 2 BROTHERS (not forgetting Daisy the obliging black lab)
Despite the early start and forewarned reluctance of the subjects, James, 15, and Sammy, 8, were an absolute delight from start to finish. They entered into the spirit of the sitting wholeheartedly.
These two brothers have such a lovely, easy and close relationship, despite the large age gap. And I hope that although the portraits are separate, this is somehow conveyed through the unity of palette, and ...the openness of the poses and the way the two portraits relate to each other.
I thoroughly enjoyed every stage of this commission. Please read more about it on my website: http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/portraits-of -two-brothers/
Would be very grateful for any sharing. Thank you so much
See More
I've finally given in and have succumbed to Instagram. You can follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/rosannachit/
Scrumpy - the Artist’s Dog Now 10 and getting a little matronly, Scrumpy has quite a sense of entitlement which is growing exponentially with age. Breakfast is expected to be served first thing in the morning and tea absolutely no later than on the dot of 4pm (although she is usually ramping up the big eyes for a good hour beforehand). The moment your bottom makes contact with the sofa, Scrumpy expects to be cradled and have all 9 teats stroked simultaneously. Should you sto...p for a moment she wakens, fixes you with her beady eye and grabs your momentarily stationary hand with her paw and moves it until you accede to her demands.
In this painting it is clearly approaching 4pm...
Read more about this absurd and wonderful dog here: http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/scrumpy-the- artists-dog/
See More
This was a fascinating and surprisingly challenging commission. Two individual portraits of twins. When painting siblings, I always try and ensure that the paintings work both separately and collectively. This means choosing poses that work together so that the children aren’t all facing the same way (like sitting on a bus). With twins, and the added closeness that this brings, these considerations are that much more important. The poses should reflect both the personality of each child and their relationship.
Read about the challenges I encountered here: http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/portraits-of -twins/
Sian de Normann burst into my life when she turned up for a head and shoulders sitting, bringing her devoted border terrier, Dolly, along for the ride. Sian is one of the most fun and energetic women I have met in years and we hit it off famously and felt like old friends within minutes..
Read more about it's making on http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/portrait-of- a-lady-with-her-d…/
The beautiful Yasmin H at 15. I have known Yassi for 8 years - she and my youngest daughter, George, were best friends at Chard School. A truly beautiful girl with a poise well beyond her years.
You can read more detail on the making of the portrait on http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/pastel-portr ait-of-yasmin/
Various projects in the past very busy year but this was one I painted this summer of the wonderful William: http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/oil-portrait -of-a-young-man-w…/
Do please read all about the making and painting of it and share if you feel so inclined!
A really interesting and challenging commission, this. A portrait of a young girl with her dog to be hung alongside a portrait painted 100 year previously of her great-grandmother. At the same age with her dog. You can find out the whole story and see the work in progress on http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/a-young-girl -and-her-dog/
An oil sketch of an elderly man in a scarf - one of my paintings to come out of a fantastic 4 day painting bonanza with Anthony Connolly at Summerleaze Galleries. Read more about the making of the portrait on: http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/oil-sketch-o f-an-elderly-man-…/
Scrappy - pastel portrait and a series of quick pencil sketches of Mary Lang's totally wonderful and much loved Jack Russell terrier (mother and grandmother to my two JRs). Full story and to see all the images go to: http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/scrappy-a-pa stel-sketch-of-th…/
Iris - pastel portrait of young girl. Last one of this family of 3. (Time for another child, Bella?) Read more about the making of the portrait on http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/iris-pastel- portrait-of-a-you…/
The extraordinarily serene and poised Catriona A-M. Oil head and shoulders. A little literary nod to her heroine Jane Austen through the slightly upright pose with the empire line shirt. Read all about the making of the portrait on http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/oil-portrait -of-a-young-woman/
This is a portrait of the beautiful Livvy H. For the full story please visit http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/pastel-portr ait-of-a-teenage-…/
This was a very interesting and challenging commission that took the best part of six months. Four individual oil paintings of highly individual children that would have cohesion as a set. Visit http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/oil-portrait s-of-four-children/ for the full story
Latest pastel portrait now up on my website. Visit http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/pastel-portr ait-of-a-young-gi…/ to see the full story
Mollie and Gracie - a pair of small, hairy dogs that I have just drawn in pastels. Small in stature but by no means in personality, Mollie and Gracie were great fun to draw. For more on this pair and others see:
http://www.rchittenden.co.uk/pastel-portr ait-drawings-of-t…/
Rosanna is an exceptionally talented portrait painter who not only captures a person's likeness, but manages to convey personality and character. Thank you so much for my gorgeous painting, I will treasure it always.
Rosanna captured my dog Dolly and my friends say that it's also captured me too. I was slightly apprehensive about seeing my painting but I really need not have worried at all.
What a fabulously talented lady who has also become a friend. Lucky us.
More about Rosanna Chittenden: Portraits, Paintings And Drawings
Tuesday: 09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday: 09:00 - 16:00
Thursday: 09:00 - 16:00
Friday: 09:00 - 16:00
Saturday: -
Sunday: -
Similar Listings