Hughie the Explorer
/The second painting in my ‘first steps’ series has been a beautiful deep dive into the story of a little boy called Hughie.
During a lovely dialogue with his mummy and daddy, where we talked about all the things that were special to Hughie and them, a fantastic range of visual references emerged.
I have incorporated these into this painting, creating a portrait that hopefully works on several layers; capturing a physical likeness whilst also paying tribute to and celebrating those symbolic elements, unique to Hughie and his family.
The stars are a double reference, first to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, sung before Hughie’s bedtime and second, to a much loved piece of artwork that hangs in his home.
The rose is an emblem of the Hospital in which he was born. His favourite toy, Freddy Firefly accompanies him. He wears a cardigan much treasured by his family, which was worn by his daddy as a baby.
The decision to show him in his bouncer became a wonderful nod to various characteristics and with everything combined Hughie has become an explorer flying high into the night sky with Freddy his trusty sidekick.
It is perhaps one of the most detailed digital paintings I have embarked on so far and, combined, has totalled over 20 hours of painting, but what an extraordinary journey it has been. I have put together an abbreviated timelapse of it below, so do take a look.
