Original artwork description:

Acrylic painting on paper, framed in a large vintage frame.

A painting about the outer vs the inner, the image of ourselves we project and the version/s of us that remain hidden.

When it comes to the pain and suffering of others we can complain, tweet and share endless megabytes of information, but when a hand in need is outstretched to us, do we take it, find an excuse or slap it away?

When I started this painting, I was musing on how Britain sees itself vs its behaviour, such as how it treats those with the least power.

So as the newspapers rev themselves up dividing people into 'just victims' in need of help and 'people that brought it on themselves', ask yourself why not everybody is worth the same effort.

Outwardly we take the form of a lion, but up close there's nothing but a cold, hollow facsimile, a plaster cast of bravery.

Acrylic and pencil on paper framed in an up-cycled vintage frame.

The frame was a small art project in itself, I stripped back the old varnish to reveal some incredible pine beneath. From there I layered paint and wax, scratching off the wax as layers of paint dried to reveal a beautiful textured and aged surface. Finally a few coats of varnish for protection and it was ready to impress, the perfect finishing touch to the painting.

Ready to hang!

Materials used:

Acrylic paint on paper

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