A delightful portrait exhibition of ‘Park People’ inspired by people Chris Phillip’s sees regularly in The Highams Park.
Please see below for a short bio about Chris and a few tasters of Chris’s exhibition:
“I am a local artist who likes visiting the Highams Park daily with my dog Lily (she’s the one who nicks anyone’s bacon sandwich!) and over time I have become friends with many other local dog walkers, some of whom are pictured in this exhibition, hence the title ‘Park People’.
Having often enjoyed visiting art galleries while on holiday, my interest in creating art and painting started some years ago with a harbourside landscape drawing I completed while visiting Felixstowe with my daughter Sarah.
In 2017 I semi retired, and having more spare time to pursue my interests I enrolled in a City Lit oil painting portraiture course. I became fascinated with observing faces on the train journeys to and from classes and continued with pencil sketches of people.
In May 2019 I started private lessons with well known local artist Christine Loze to expand my knowledge and techniques particularly in pastel portraiture.
During my daily park walks in 2020 I became acquainted with a local couple, Chrissie and Delisle Harper. I was intrigued by Chrissie’s inimitable fashion sense and colourful pink hair so asked if I could photograph her in order to paint her portrait.
She kindly obliged and this became my first pastel portrait. When I showed her the finished results she was so pleased she asked to purchase it. Feeling encouraged, I followed it with a portrait of her husband Delisle.
I continued to have lessons with Christine Loze and started painting other people from the park. After completing a number of portraits I was invited by HPPG’s Arts & Culture Team to have this first exhibition and display my work here at Humphrys.
I hope you enjoy the exhibition and have fun recognizing some of the faces.
Chris Phillips Oct 2021 “
These photos don’t do Chris’s work justice, so it’s best you pop in and see them and many more in person.
