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Alex Davern |
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Hilton Owen – Self-Portrait with Cow near Richmond
There was a great feeling that came with being in a dry, dusty Richmond paddock next to a cow. My mood was one of happiness, excitement and curiosity. Without having access to this one particular photograph of me next to a cow, I would not have chosen to do a self-portrait. It was a rare moment that captures my personality, possible thoughts, expression and movement while also being a striking and unusual image. I chose to paint a self-portrait to satisfy my desire to reproduce a memorable moment of time in my life. As the subject of my painting, I was able to work with full knowledge of exactly how I wanted to come across in the work. Capturing facets of a person’s personality is essential in a portrait. I worked with a goal to portray my love for animals, nature and travel. On a day trip, my girlfriend and I were driving just outside Richmond. We drove past a paddock with several cows standing near a tree and I decided to stop to have a closer look at them. The majority ran but one stayed near me. A photo was then taken. I wanted the cow’s identity to be shown in the painting just as much as mine. It has as much relevance to the painting as I do. Even cows, which to us are all the same, have their own identity. Each spot of black or white on their body is unique from others. I painted the work in the same way it felt to be in that paddock. Fairly rough and exciting but also carefully thoughtful and reserved. I have been painting seriously for around three years, working almost every day. Since I began, portraiture has been my genre.
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