’Self Portrait’ by Nicholas Chaundy

This weeks’s Spotlight on Art features ‘Self portrait’ by FAA Principal instructor Nicholas Chaundy.

Last Fall, we had the pleasure to feature Nicholas Chaundy in a video about the process of painting self portraits that explored Nick’s choice to use his own image as a frequent subject in his paintings, and the liberating artistry that comes from being his own model. 

In case you missed it, if you are subscribed to any of our tiers click the link below to see:

The Process w/ Nicholas Chaundy - Self Portrait

As painters often choose their subjects to explore the depth of a particular theme, the self portrait is both a technical and artistic freeing from the hired model, and offers the possibility for personal and artistic exploration on canvas. We view Nick’s work in the context of the masters who preceded him, and the portraits of their personal moments in time they have left for humanity. 

Here are Nick’s thoughts on one of his self portraits.

Nicholas Chaundy

Self Portrait

Oil on linen

40 x 50 cm

Tell us about this artwork and where you created it.

I created this piece during my first months as an instructor at The Florence Academy of Art. It was a true investigation into the feelings, thoughts and inspirations that drove me to come back to Florence to teach.

What was the inspiration behind it?

The inspirations behind it were my fellow colleagues and friends. In addition to this I had only just revisited the Uffizi Gallery in Florence for the first time in three years and an overwhelming urge to imitate qualities of the paintings came over me, I had Rembrandt, Titian, Tintoretto and Caravaggio at my fingertips.

Tell us about your process.

I used a sight-size technique for this self portrait which involves me placing the painting next to my head and having the mirror in front of me so I can view both myself and the painting in the mirror at the same time and at the same size. I used a number of techniques in this process, from direct painting to delicately enriching the colouring with subtle glazing. I tend to paint instinctually first, reacting to what I see and moving paint quite freely around the canvas until I’ve found ‘the sweet spot’ of composition, lighting and effect. Then, I start to become more exact with the drawing with a continued attention to the colouring and values. I then proceed to refine and explore.

Self Portrait steps

Tell us about the light in your studio.

In the studio we tend to use lighting produced from skylights above us. The skylight provides a very mood inspiring light effect that imitates that of the masters. With this painting, I specifically wanted to create a mood and an atmosphere that the lighting in the studio really lends itself too.

What did you learn in the process of the making?

Patience, a lot about my own face and a lot about the direction and aesthetic I would like my paintings to achieve in the future.

Did you experiment with something new?

With every painting I start (many of which never get finished) I try to explore new challenges and techniques by imitating styles of various painters or paintings. Without the want to explore and experiment I think I would find painting rather meaningless. With this painting in particular I fell upon several techniques that I hadn’t really explored before. I also firmly believe that with each painting there is something that catches you by surprise, for example, a different type of material, a different hand position, a different way in which hair catches the light. All these new experiences mean that you have to experiment with each new challenge that confronts you.

What do you wish to convey through this work?

I’m not sure I have an answer to that particularly. I think I was only truly thinking of what I wanted to create for myself when painting this. Perhaps a sense of something is conveyed to the viewer but only the viewer could tell you what that is.

What makes this work special for you?

Good question! I think there is a mixture of my own response and the response that other people had towards it. I think it was a piece of artwork that I created purely for the enjoyment of painting (as mentioned in the previous question). So to have found that other people responded to it in a powerful way came to me as a bit of a shock but later lead me to really study the painting and delve into the depths of really what made it so responsive as a painting.

More about Nick:

Nicholas Chaundy is a contemporary portrait artist and figurative painter based in Florence. He is a graduate of The Florence Academy of Art, Falmouth University and Central St Martins. He is currently a principle instructor in the intermediate and advanced painting programs at the Florence Academy of Art

Nicholas first studied art at Central St Martins where he received his Foundation Diploma in Fine Arts and then moved to Falmouth, Cornwall to study Fine Arts at Falmouth University. Here, having received no prior formal training Nicholas used the three-year programme to fully immerse himself in the world of fine art, reading about, practicing and discovering the techniques of traditional painting and drawing that had been used for hundreds of years.

After graduating, he moved to Bristol to start working as a portrait painter. He then moved to Florence to study at the prestigious Florence Academy of Art. Here he went on to further his understanding of nineteenth century techniques in portraiture, figurative and still life work. Whilst studying at the Florence Academy Nicholas received a scholarship and completed the three-year programme in just over two years.

As a painter, Nicholas specialises in contemporary realism with a strong emphasis on investigating the nuances that have inspired and given rise to great artists of the past five hundred years. He uses these nuances to create works with a certain theme or aesthetic indicative of historic ‘styles’ or movements in Art.

See more of Nick’s work here:

Website: www.nicholaschaundy.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicholaschaundy