ARTISTS | INTRODUCING
GENEVIEVE MURRAY AND HELENA ZABKO PHILLIPS
This month we take a look at two artists who bring a fresh take to traditional genres, forging their own unique styles while beautifully referencing historical inspirations. Taking on either portraiture or still lifes is a demanding feat, but these two artists manage it with grace to delightfully contemporary ends.
GENVIEVE MURRAY
Genevieve Murray is a figurative artist based in Bristol, specialising in oil portraiture. Painting either from life or photos, she works inspired by the intriguing individuals around her and captures brief moments of her sitter's life. Genevieve gets to know her sitters, creating a sense of place or capturing their space and entering into a visual dialogue with her subject creating works which are truly unique to each sitter. Inspired by Old masters such as Manet, Vermeer and Caravaggio, you can trace these influences in her work in the framing and lighting of her subjects. Her sensitive choice of palette, while informed by historical works, blends with her unique gaze - which divulges her true fascination and attentiveness to her sitters - to form a fresh and contemporary feel to the work.
Genevieve's collection on Sixteen Online encompasses a mix of commissioned portraits and her self-initiated work; some of which are available as fine art giclée prints on the links. She also runs portraiture courses, information about which can be found on her website, don't miss out on a place!
HELENA ZABKO PHILLIPS
Helena's work centres around her poignant and, at times, intense still lifes. Painting in oils, she directs their versatility to calm serenity, creating works infused with tension yet emanating a sense of peace. Her skilful technique embraces the fundamentals of traditional still lifes - composition, balance, contrast, light and shade, form and perspective - whilst focusing care and attention on modern subjects or details. This leads to works that highlight the quiet beauty in everyday objects, elevating simple vases or fruits with clean, contemporary compositions. Helena spent her formative years living on a remote Welsh hill farm and accredits this upbringing to her connection with her curated environment and her ability to convey a sense of stillness.
View all of Helena's collection on the link below, and keep up with where to find her in person next.
TO EXPLORE ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COLLECTIVE, CLICK HERE
TO JOIN THE COMMUNITY YOURSELF, CLICK HERE
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