Harriet O'Hegarty

In this project I have painted my family. I have represented my mum, Kate and my two sisters, Issy and Doone in three portraits. I have also depicted their hands in three different drawings. Through the close bonds I share with each of them I find I create strong representations of their unique characters.
My desire for each of my portraits is to give an insight into the subject's individuality. I want the end result to be far more than just a physical likeness of the person but an essence of them.
My process begins with creating preliminary drawings of the individual whom I intend to paint. I draw both their face and other parts of their body to gain a real sense of their unique gestures, poses and expressions. I also take photographs of the subject, which capture a variety of moments of them.
When painting the portraits, I take time in considering the placement of brush strokes as each one is crucial in representing the subject's personality. I slowly build up layers of the paint using hog hair brushes by working over dried paint. I then work with sable brushes to employ more accuracy when painting the features of the face.
Being able to gain a sense of a person and their characteristics through paint is incredibly fascinating to me. Paint has an ability to depict a moment but one that is timeless and in my portraits I strive to use techniques of paint to render a human presence.
I plan to continue creating more portraits and I also hope to develop my painting skills. Ideally I would like to work towards a career in curating as I would learn more and expand my knowledge of art.