Lucille Smithson Art

I am predominantly a portrait and figurative realistic painter although I do paint a variety of other subjects too. I enjoy people and I think this translates into my choice of subject. In my portraits I hope to capture not only a good likeness but someone's character, so that even if a person sees the painting without knowing the subject, they will have some sense of them.

 

Between 2020 and 2022, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I participated in Tom Croft's #portraitsfornhsheroes initiative and painted nurses and doctors in the United Kingdom, the USA, and South Africa. My intention was to give a face and a story to these incredible individuals highlighting how they were working behind the scenes in unimaginably challenging circumstances and putting their lives at risk to help others. The paintings were presented as gifts to them for their invaluable frontline service.  My work was featured on Sky News and mentioned in The Economist.

 

My painting, entitled Matthew and Sami (a married couple, both doctors in the UK), features in the Portraits for NHS book published by Bloomsbury, 2020.

I currently have an ongoing series of portraits that I am working on of fellow artists and creative people that I know. 
 

For commission enquiries please drop me an email via my contact tab.

 

Exhibitions
2024: Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, UK

2024: The Ebell of Los Angeles 'A woman's place' exhibition, USA

2023: The Kline Academy of Fine Art annual exhibition, USA

 

2022: SWA - The Society of Women Artists annual exhibition, UK

 

2017: Hampstead School of Art annual exhibition - including a Cass Arts prize for my portrait entitled 'Bea', UK

 

Interviews and writing
As a writer, and someone who sees myself as an evolving artist, I enjoy talking to and asking other artists about their creative process: What makes people create, how they work, where they find inspiration, the things that challenge them, etc. During the pandemic I created an Instagram page called @magic_8_art where I interviewed artists about how they were coping during this time and asking them about their process. The idea originated as a way of creating a sense of connection, community, encouragement and inspiration among artists at a time when many people felt very isolated. I continue to interview artists on this platform about their process and work. You can also see my previous interviews with artists here and my articles with Fashion Globe Magazine are here.

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