Portrait Paintings Art Collection By Doug Kemp Artist Collection

Doug Kemp’s portrait paintings include self-portraits as paintings on canvas and paper and as limited edition artist prints. Portraiture is a very old art form going back at least to ancient Egypt, where it flourished about 5,000 years ago. Before the invention of photography, a painted, sculpted, or drawn portrait was the only way to record the appearance of someone.

King Henry VIII was famously duped by an over flattering portrait (compare this with a modern-day Instagram filter) of a potential wife, Anne of Cleves.

These were not in the days of artistic licence and Henry was not at all impressed with the real-life Anne. He was not one to be messed with and although the artist, Hans Holbein, managed to keep his head, it led to the downfall of Thomas Cromwell, who had manipulated the engagement in the first place and he was for the chop.

There is, perhaps, a moral here that honesty is the best policy and artistic licence can damage your health unless declared. Its application didn’t harm Picasso, though, otherwise, the women in his portraits must have been very physiognomically challenged – some were so square, they were Cubic.

But portraits have always been more than just a record. They have been used to show the power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste, learning or other qualities of the sitter. Portraits have almost always been flattering, and painters who refused to flatter, such as William Hogarth, tended to find their work rejected. A notable exception was Francisco Goya in his apparently bluntly truthful portraits of the Spanish royal family.

Among leading modern artists, portrait painting on commission became increasingly rare. Instead, artists painted their friends and lovers in whatever way they pleased. Most of Picasso’s pictures of women, for example, however bizarre, can be identified as portraits of his lovers (no accounting for taste).

At the same time, photography became the most important medium of traditional portraiture, bringing what was formerly an expensive luxury product affordable for almost everyone. Since the 1990s artists have also used video to create living portraits. But portrait painting continues to flourish where it can capture the soul of the sitter.

Self portrait paintings featuring the artist Doug Kemp. Self-portraits are a representation of an artist and the 1930s styled man in a hat is a representation of Doug, even as an Alter ego, where he plays a role in the painting.

Although self-portraits have been made since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance (mid-15th century) that they began to take on a better likeness of the artist. This was likely down to access to better and cheaper mirrors.

Strange Sisters. 182cm x 165cm Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s.

The Studio, v2. 182cm x 165cm Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s.

Miami Si. 152cm x 121cm Acrylic painting on canvas. Miami Si was reworked in to a print.

Man Alone. Painting on canvas from from the 1980s part of the Divorce Art series

Man Alone, v2. Painting on canvas from the late 1990s part of the Divorce Art series

The Final Conflict. Acrylic painting on canvas from the late 1990s part of the Divorce Art Series

A portrait is essentially a representation of a particular person. Although usually originally based on a real person (somewhere), those used in advertising often portray an anonymous ideal, created initially by the artist but then developed by the graphic designers for the Ad. Men to their own ends.

In a film, an actor will create their own interpretation and representation of the character (driven by the director) and this portrayal affects the imagination of the viewer.

A still image from a film has the emotion of the scene frozen in time but has already undergone filtration and deliberate manipulation of the viewer, and can not be considered an actual portrait.

A true photographic portrait holds a separate place in portraiture, and although capable of evoking strong emotion, a drawing or painting will also bring out the deep feelings from the heart of the artist and the soul of the sitter.

Different feelings can be generated by essentially the same image in different colour sets (or should that be referred to as “moods”?). This is reflected in the quick attention grabber of an artificially created advertisement for the subject matter. It’s ironic that the term artificial starts with the first three letters: art.

Portraits of well-known celebrities have always generated interest (Andy Warhol was a scream) and also, therefore, lend themselves to artistic interpretation.

City Guy. 61cm x 46cm acrylic painting on paper 1990s

Table Dancing. Acrylic painting on canvas from the Year 2000 Plus & Dancing Times Art series collection

Once upon a time, there was a man with a Tie A Mono print (1985) – One of the first prints made by Doug Kemp

Man Alone. Painting on canvas from from the 1980s part of the Divorce Art Series

Stone Bride.Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s Paintings & the Divorce Series Art Collection

Fort worth Cowboy. Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1980s Pop-art Collection

Not Meeting. 121 x 92 cm acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s part of the Divorce art collection.

So Near So Far. 121 x 92 cm acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s. Part of the Divorce art collection.

Quayside Tango Zurich. 167.64 x 182cm acrylic painting on canvas 1990s.

Viewing Domestic Bliss. 153 x 162cm Painting on canvas 1980s featured in the Divorce series Art Collection

Jump Jump. 127 x 107 cm Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s and featured in the Dancing Times Art series collection

Chinning the Snake. Painting on canvas featured in the Divorce series Art collection

Torpedo Jacks v1. 167 x 182cm Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1980s collection. Touch of the Industrial.

Crash Madonna. Acrylic painting on canvas 127 × 115 cm.

Parade. Painting on canvas 127 × 115 cm – The girl in this painting has been reworked into a Giclee print called Rosie

Perplexing Situations. Painting on canvas 127×115 cm from the Divorce Series Art Collection

Smoke Dreams. Acylic painting on canvas 127×115 cm.

The line of her chin, the look in her eye, that knowing smile… These are a collection of female portraits on canvas, paper and on print broken down into various collections such as the Nightclub singers, Film Stars in the Young Goddesses art collections and Heroines and the all dangerous Femme Fatales.

Throughout recorded history, artists have created world-renowned artwork of women, from Botticelli’s Birth of Venus (1485) to Andy Warhol’s Blue Marilyn (1964).

Perhaps it is the innate beauty and curvaceous lines of the female form that serves as inspiration for the artists that created these masterpieces. For certain, they inspire me!

The Young Goddesses artist mini collection.  This collection of paintings and prints by Doug Kemp features iconic movie stars when they were in their prime.  The young goddesses featured in this collection are as follows.

• Frances Farmer
• Brigitte Bardot
• Priscilla Presley
• Cybill Lewis
•  Ida Lupino

The 1920s saw the emergence of many female musicians and singers including African-American blues singer Bessie Smith who went on to inspire women singers from later eras and to this very day.

The video featured here from ‘Babylon Berlin’, a German TV series, encompases just about everything Doug loves about the late 1920s nightclub scene. The music, the vibe and the banana girls. Other fruits are also available.

Babylon Berlin is a German speaking neo-noir television series and is set in the latter years of the Weimar Republic (1929).

The story follows a police inspector on assignment to dismantle an extortion ring, and Charlotte Ritter, police clerk by day, flapper by night, who aspires to become a police inspector herself.

Portrait works of women, painted with acrylic paint on paper.

Musica America. Acrylic painting on paper from the 1980s. Proper Poppy (Pop Art) in a style typical in advertising in past decades.

I love you so much. 61cm x 61 cm

Rah Rah Pom Pom girl. Acrylic painting on paper 122 x 91 cm painted in the 1980s.

Lilian, v2. 61 x 61 cm – This Lillian painting was re-worked into a print and is available from the print store.

Gets. Acrylic painting on paper painted in the 1990s.

Malfi. 61 x 61 cm. Homage to the play and film, The Duchess Malfi, featuring the actress Aislin McGuckin in the role. This Malfi painting on canvas has been re-worked into a print.

Portrait work of women, painted with acrylic paint on canvas.

Angel. Acrylic painting on canvas from the 2000 plus artwork collection

The Sculptress, v1. Acrylic painting on canvas from the art lovers collection.

Heroine. Acrylic painting on paper 122 x 91 cm painted in the 1980s

Lilian v2. 61 x 61 cm – This Lillian painting was re-worked into a print and is availibe from the print store.

Back seat. 2005 Acrylic Painting on canvas 2000s collection, Doug Kemp

Don’t ever love Me… Kay. Acrylic painting on canvas 2000s collection, Doug Kemp Art

Cutting the Salami. 36x45inches Acrylic painting on canvas 1990s Divorce Series, Doug Kemp

Don’t ever love me… Gill. Acrylic painting on canvas 2000s collection, Artist Doug Kemp

Blond Extra. 32×30 inches Acrylic painting on canvas 2000s, Young Goddesses collection, Doug Kemp

Nasty Blond, v1. 48×48 inches Acrylic painting on canvas 1970s Art Series Doug Kemp

Nasty Blond, v2. 48×48 Inches Acrylic painting on canvas 1970s

Hazel Smiles. 72 x 54 inches painting on canvas 1970s Pop-Art series. A seminal work in developing Doug’s style.

Lucy. 45×48 inches Acrylic painting on canvas 1980s Pop-art series, Doug Kemp Art. Image is being reworked into a Giclee print.

Little Egypt.45×48 inches Acrylic painting on canvas 1980s pop art series. AI vs Artist Download Little Egypt Painting

Sculptress v2. 12×18 inches Acrylic painting on canvas 1990s Art Doug Kemp

Sea Madonna v1. Acrylic painting on canvas from the 2000 plus artwork collection

Happy Girl. Acrylic painting on canvas from the 1990s Art Series.