Family & Group Portraits

Friends had recommended artists, but I was nervous about commissioning a group portrait without expert advice. Rosie at Fine Art Commissions showed me examples by artists experienced at painting children, and talked me through the options until we found someone whose character and painting style suited us all perfectly.

Charlotte Stevens

Nicky Philipps was a wonderful choice for this commission as her traditional style and naturalistic tones were well suited with the portraits already in the client’s collection. The inclusion of the sitters’ beloved dogs was deemed essential by all parties, Nicky being dog mad herself. Nicky’s expertise in portraying the sumptuous interior and different textures gives the portrait an added richness as well as providing a snapshot of the interior at that moment in time, a compositional technique many associate with the great German painter Johan Zoffany.

When we advise on group commissions we draw the client’s attention to the many elements which need to be considered. The composition needs to be carefully constructed, yet not contrived, so that there is a relaxed chemistry between the sitters. There are the practicalities of indoor and outdoor locations, and the outfit choices worn by the sitters will need to be discussed to avoid any clashes!

This bright and charming painting of a family enjoying their garden is an example of a small conversation piece. It masterfully captures atmosphere and the essence of the individuals through gesture and pose. Paintings of this genre are an appealing option as they are generally more affordable and provide a wonderful snapshot into a family’s life.

My father has influenced me greatly in my work and given that it is a relatively strange thing for a sculptor to raise a painter, I thought it could be an interesting father–son project to make portraits of one another at the same time.

Jamie Coreth
Dad Sculpting Me – Winner of The Young Artist Award, BP Portrait Awards, National Portrait Gallery, London, 2016

We were interested in commissioning a portrait of the three of us to surprise our mother with on her 50th birthday. Rosie was insightful in suggesting artists whose styles might suit. She then came up with the definitive idea of commissioning a set of three that would work together or apart…Thank you Rosie… you could not have executed our idea any better and the portraits will be enjoyed by the family for years.

The Cobbold Family