'Time Was Away and She Was Here'
My title is the last line of the poem Meeting Point by Louis MacNeice, written on the eve of World War II. My model is Judith, who sat for us one afternoon in The Drawn Portrait, a short course at the Royal Drawing School.
The original version of this portrait sketch was taller and paler, almost ghostly. I was reworking the background when news broke of the invasion of Ukraine. The portrait then took on a darker tone, and by the time I had finished, the drawing had found its title.
This artwork was selected for the 101st annual open exhibition of the Society of Graphic Fine Art - The Drawing Society at the Mall Galleries London in May 2022.
Original
Charcoal on Paper
42cm x 55cm
