Rebecca Holton

As a figurative artist there is an unwritten expectation that you will paint a self-portrait. It’s a well-trodden subject and one in which it is difficult to be original. Drinking a cup of coffee next to the pool in Croatia, I caught myself staring at my shadow on the paving slabs. My shadow was recognisably ‘me’, despite its only feature being a flat silhouette. I recognised my posture, my body shape, the way I moved and the angle I held as I looked at myself. I was naturally drawn to the position of my eyes. I realised I was relating to my shadow in the same way I would my reflection in a mirror. I was on holiday, away from my studio; this was the time I was meant to relax, and to stop. An artist never stops.

Rebecca is a classically trained British Portrait and Figurative artist. Her work has been included in exhibitions by the Royal Academy, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, ING Discerning Eye, The Royal Society of British Artists and The Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Prize. She is the recipient of multiple awards. Awards this year include the Bishop & Sewell Award for an Exceptional Painting, Chelsea Art Society, and The Peter Kelly Commemorative Prize. RBA. Rebecca’s work is in private collections in the UK, the USA, Belgium, Sweden, Hong Kong and Singapore.