PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST

An interview with OS Portrait painter, Caroline de Peyrecave. Our man in the smock and beret, Nigel Milne, puts her through her paces.

Nigel: Caroline, what was it that initially inspired your talent and interest in painting? Are either of your parents painters?

Caroline: From memory, my inspiration then and now remains rooted in fascination with nature and wanting to capture it, study it and immortalise what I saw. I found paint the most rewarding way of capturing the texture and true colours of the subject. There are creative talents on both of sides of my family. My grandfather for example had exceptional patience with crafts such as marquetry and my grandmother was remarkable with textiles while many other families members are designers or architects. My great grandfather, Louis de Peyrecave, was an innovator and designed one of the first cars in 1912 – the DP Duo Cycle Car.

Nigel: Was Art your specialist subject at Stowe?

Caroline: Yes, along with Photography, History of Art and Biology. My heart has always been with painting since I found my love of lots of paint during my GCSE years. I did textiles club as well but have found other ways to fulfil that passion such as painting the stunning fabrics of India while I travel there.

Nigel: Was there a particular teacher who guided you and nurtured your talent?

Caroline: There was a significant moment for me when during my Lower Sixth year a practicing artist joined us in the studio. Under his guidance, the entire room engaged in painting a life model. There began my love for broad simple marks conveying form from life. Gratefully, during my A-Level exams, my teachers allowed me to bring in a live model to work from, which was immensely valuable for my final project. Another influential moment was visiting a textile artist’s studio in New York on a school trip. Witnessing her remarkable workspace left a lasting impression. Reflecting on it now, I realise that her being a woman might have strengthened my connection and opened my eyes to the possibility of creating a similar reality for myself.

Nigel: I can imagine how the surroundings at Stowe inspired you and influenced your natural appreciation of beauty. Was there a particular aspect of it that affected you?

Caroline: During my study breaks, I used to wander outdoors, capturing landscapes and contrasting textures through photography for my A-Level coursework. My fascination with light, structure and their interplay on the temples and pavilions amongst the garden buildings has remained a constant passion, influencing my approach to landscaping work to this day.

Nigel: What did you do after leaving Stowe? Did you have your sights firmly fixed on being a career artist?

Caroline: Initially, I spent a year at Oxford Brookes University completing my BTEC Art Foundation course. Seeking a solid grounding in drawing and painting, something I found challenging to locate in the UK at that time, I ventured to Florence to study at the Charles H. Cecil Atelier. At that point, I held no firm belief in myself as an artist: it was more about absorbing foundational skills. I recall a family friend questioning when I’d presue a ‘proper job’, causing me to ponder why my chosen path was viewed negatively. Today, I’m immensely grateful for a successful career that affords me a balanced life, blending family and work with freedom of choice.

Nigel: From leaving the Claude Lorraine influenced surroundings of Stowe and being submerged in the all encompassing gorgeousness of Florence must have seemed to be a natural segue. Did you find your painting style changing at all?

Caroline: It certainly was transformative. During my school days I was playing with and exploring ideas until I found my love and want to draw and paint portraiture. My style was colourful, full of texture and very broad. As soon as I got to Florence, I had to learn the ability to be extremely patient, to push myself further than I ever had before in terms of detail and tone and persevere with a subject for weeks on end, to start with, in order to really learn what it took to create a piece of academic art. I always went in with the intention that the academic training would be the foundation to wherever I later ended up but I never realised how much I would fall in love with the mesmerising, life like beauty of representational art. I made it a habit to return to the UK from Florence every couple of months for what I called a ‘reality check’. As yes, Stowe and Florence are hugely romantic and I knew that what I was aiming for was to be an independent artist receiving regular commissions. My style has gradually developed into my own and those colourful and broader brush marks of my teenage years are reappearing in a considered manner.

Nigel: Over the last few years your reputation has increased hugely and, as a result, so has your client base. I appreciate that this is a difficult question for you to answer but is there a particular commission that stands out from all of the others in terms of it being ridiculously challenging, seriously quirky or just plain odd?

Caroline: Working from photographs can present challenges; for instance, when painting Thomas van Straubenzee, the provided photograph didn’t have the ideal lighting, and it didn’t show details beyond the tie knot. I had to reference other images to complete his shoulders and body, which was quite tricky to piece together seamlessly. Another recently completed commission was of a family of eight which I referenced from a montage of photographs. I surprised myself with a more successful outcome than I imagined as thankfully the lighting was luminous and the painting has much more depth than I thought I would capture. Another commission of a Russian princess was to have her painted with her pet parrot… in the style of Bulgari handbag advert! I love fashion but it was complex for many reasons! Regarding my personal work, I painted a self-portrait in 2023 aiming to convey a sense of purity in feminine confidence. Unfortunately, I fell ill with tonsillitis just four days into the project. Despite this setback, I was determined to complete it for submission to the SKY Portrait Artist of the Year competition. Pushing through the illness, I had no choice but to work swiftly to meet the deadline.