self (portrait of a violinist)

silverpoint on prepared paper

23cm x 30cm

June 2021

Royal Ulster Academy of Arts 140th Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast, 29th October 2021 – 9th January 2022

Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts 192nd Annual Exhibition, RHA Gallery, Dublin, 23rd May – 24th July 2022

self (portrait of a violinist) was drawn in deepest lockdown – I was struggling a bit and seriously concerned about the viability of my future as a professional musician. Meanwhile the UK news was full of ‘Fatima’, the billboard ballerina casually advised to re-skill to cyber…

This self-portrait was the beginning of my love for silver and goldpoint, a tricky medium to work with. Historically used for sketching before the graphite pencil was in common use, marks made with metal point are indelible so building up a drawing is a slow and painstaking process. But it’s worth it; the light tonal field and delicate, silvery shimmer gives drawings an otherworldly sense of nostalgia and memory, particularly as the silver tarnishes over time and takes on a sepia tone.