Portraits worthy of Royalty

AN ARTIST who was once commissioned by the Queen will be showcasing his talents at this year’s Cheshire County Show.

 

John Clarke, from Warrington, painted for the Queen as part of her 80th birthday celebrations in 2006.

 

Now – in the year of her Diamond Jubilee – he will be at the Cheshire Show on June 19 and 20 giving visitors the chance to be photographed and then painted with their pets.

 

"The Countryside Experience Area is a great opportunity for the public to try and see activities that they might not normally have the chance to do such as having a painting done by an artist of John’s calibre who has worked for royalty,” said Roger Thomason, Chairman of the Countryside Experience Area at the Cheshire County Show.

 

"The area is also a fantastic chance to come and learn about traditional countryside activities.”

 

John’s love of the countryside was stirred while working as head keeper at the Dunsop Bridge shoot on the prestigious Whitewell Estate in Lancashire.

 

It was not until he was commissioned by the Queen six years ago that he decided that his love of painting could become a career.

"To be commissioned by the Queen was a huge honour but my real passion lies in the countryside,” said John. "I know Her Majesty also has a huge passion for nature and in her Diamond Jubilee year I am delighted to be coming to one of the biggest county shows in the country in my home county.”

 

John, 44, now works from his studio in the Forest of Bowland and specialises in wildlife, still life and animal portraits – including dogs and horses.

 

He takes great care to capture their personality by photographing them before starting any commission.

 

"Working with gundogs and seeing animals and birds interacting in their natural habitat has helped me to understand and capture the essence of each animal I paint,” said John.

 

"I can take between 100 to 150 pictures of horses as the wind can spook the animal and make important details like their ears difficult to capture. Gundogs are the easiest to photograph because they are so well trained.”

 

To see John’s work visit his stand in the Countryside Experience area at the Cheshire County Show.