It feels like a lifetime since I last did a post on my blog and in some ways it is. A lot has happened but I’m going to skim nicely over all the heavy stuff and go straight for something that worked out well during lockdown.

Early this year I was doing live portraits on location, face to face. Now things have changed a little (lot) I’ve been doing art on request via photos / videos or whatever gives me an insight into the person I’m drawing.

Two very different styles have emerged. Firstly pets … I expanded on the ‘Pimp my Pet’ theme. A controversial title that I had to dum down a little for my Not on the High Street Shop. It became the ‘Alternative Pet Portrait’ … I’m still looking for a better title to sum up this pet makeover. Based on my murky history in the fashion world where I dipped into styling. I find it hard to believe that I spent over 20 years studying and working in the fashion industry. Pet portraits are a throw back to styling models with the emphasis on accessories to enhance the doggy dudes and kooky cavy characters. Digital art somehow illustrates the irony.

Moving on to people portraits. I have been working on my line art for sometime. Minimising the detail to give a clean, fresh approach. During lockdown I’ve been part of a Sunday Art Club on Instagram with friend and artist Anna Niman who runs London Art Drawing. Check it out – they do great weekly life drawing classes via Zoom. During one Sunday session I experimented with mark making and found a new technique which compliments the line art in a beautifully understated way. Adding depth without overwhelming the simplicity of the lines.

If you’re looking for a portrait you can find them on my ‘Cherie did this’ website where you can place an order. Drop me a message if you want to ask about the options.

I won’t leave it so long next time … but then Christmas is going to be crazy busy. In the meantime see my shop for gifts and personalised Christmas cards.