Julia

Description

Portrait of Julia Hales
2020 | Oil on Canvas | 76 x 102cm
Finalist 2021 Kilgour Prize for Figurative and Portrait Painting

Julia is all about love.
An extraordinary bond with her mother fuelled the conviction to follow her dreams.
A long-term fan of Home & Away gave way to her own aspirations for the theatre. Julia is preparing to take her leading role in the production ‘You know we belong together’ to The Edinburgh Festival, spreading the word about love, relationships, acceptance and belonging onto the international stage.
As so much of Julia is about theatre it appeared clear to me to portray her in the theatre. Making use of the many lighting options helped create a more dramatic effect with the contrast enhancing depth and dimension. My intention was to ‘emerge’ her image from the canvas; the uncluttered simplicity of the composition focusses on Julia’s face, the casually seated pose along with hands coupled reflects the warm and welcoming person that she is.

Julia is an aspiring actor and passionate advocate for the Down Syndrome Community. She gives regular talks to parents expecting down syndrome babies, interacts with down syndrome playgroups and is a mentor at DAADA. She has made her lifes’ work driving acceptance.
With her Mum now passed Julia continues to flourish. Love conquers all.

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