The Show

Meet the Artists

Your Portraits

Interview with Shaun Downey - "...an experience that has motivated me to push myself even harder..."

SP: How did you become interested in art?

SD: I was always interested in drawing since my childhood, but didn't become serious about being an artist until the end of high school. It was then that I decided that being an artist was the best choice for me.

SP: Do you believe fundamental art skills are essential?

SD: Yes I do. People forget that many of the world most famous non-representational artists had solid training drawing and painting the figure. Look at what Picasso was doing when he was 14 years old; he was creating some mind blowing realistic paintings at that time.

SP: Why do you think you are compelled to paint portraits?

SD: Being able to capture the essence and personality of a person. The subtlety of human expression in a single image has always fascinated me. To tell the story of one person to a group of viewers in one quiet moment is one of the most powerful tools an artist holds.

SP: Tell us what about your nomination for the BP Portrait Award

SD: I was very fortunate to be one of 58 painters out of 2177 entries to have their work chosen for this year’s exhibition at the National Portrait gallery in London. It was an amazing experience to say the least. This was the first year I had entered the competition, so was elated to find out that I was one of the chosen few to represent modern portrait painting.

SP: What was it like to see your portrait painting used for the BP Portrait award publicity campaign?

SD: To see my painting "Blue Coco" displayed on a huge banner draping the front of the National Portrait Gallery, which has paintings from 1450 to present day, was a great honour. There were also posters featuring my painting throughout London and the UK, and the exhibition catalogue for the show also featured my painting. It was a great feeling to see my painting everywhere in London, an experience that has motivated me to push myself even harder to create work I am capable of.

SP: How do you maintain momentum in your art practice?

SD: Keeping daily painting regimen helps to keep the work going. As a self-employed person it is easy to get distracted, which makes getting back to work that much more difficult. Also forcing myself to keep my website, blog, facebook, myspace and twitter pages fresh and updated helps people interested stay up to date on my work.

SP: Are there particular subjects that you like to paint?

SD: I paint women mostly, my wife Kelly Grace in particular models for about 75% of my work. Painting my wife allows people a voyeuristic view into my life, and I find people react strongly to paintings of her. I think they can read my affection for her in my work. Complete strangers always guess that she is my wife, even amongst works featuring other female models.

Were you surprised to see Jeanne Becker as the celebrity?

SD: I was very pleased to see that Jeanne was our celebrity sitter; I appreciate anyone who works as hard as she to become the icon that she is. I work extremely hard at my profession to become that best artist that I can, so I feel a kinship with her. She is very lovely in person, a truly passionate individual.

Where do you see yourself and your art in the future?

SD: I hope to exhibit in London and New York on a regular basis, and I am currently seeking gallery representation in those cities. I also have some larger work planned, featuring multiple figures that I am quite excited about. I hope to inspire more Canadians to pursue figurative and portrait painting as their creative voice.

Artist Stats

Shaun Downey originally was interested in animation and enrolled into Angel Studios headed by painter Michael John Angel. Later, he immediately switched his focus from animation to figurative drawing and painting, and decided to pursue an illustration career enrolling in Sheridan College's illustration program.

www.shaundowney.com