Duchess of Cambridge

Pete Humphreys has always loved films and been fascinated by ways in which how the director uses the camera to frame atmosphere and intensity. Pete emulates this cinematic technique when he captures moments and composes scenes and portraits. He has long been inspired by the Impressionists and the way in which their loose brushwork blends into an image from a distance, but on a closer viewing dissolve into a mass of vigorous marks and strokes. He combines these two influences to create iconic portraiture that captures the essence of the subject as well as the precise moment that they inhabit, saying: “I search for subtlety, hidden glances and underlying motivation. I am not trying to fool the viewer into thinking that they are seeing a photograph, but rather am embracing the opportunity to interpret in paint while retaining a sense of honesty and accuracy.”