Exhibitor Sally Ward has shared some words for her two Annual Exhibition portraits:
Sally is a professional artist specialising in portraits and the figure. This is the fourth time Sally has exhibited with the RP in recent years. She has also exhibited with the ROI and the SWA. She was a finalist on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, painting Eddie Izzard, Bernardine Evaristo and Melanie Sykes. Most recently, her portrait of the Rt Hon. Rachel Reeves, the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, was acquired by the Parliamentary Art Collection in 2026 for permanent hang in Portcullis House.
In her portraits, Sally likes to create a sensitive, honest & emotionally intimate portrayal of her subjects, focusing on the sitter’s interior world.
How I See You
“The painting is a portrait of fellow artist and friend, Curtis Holder, as I see him. We first met when taking part in Sky Portrait Artist of the Year together (I was a finalist & Curtis won the competition) & have been friends ever since.
We had a lovely sitting together last year – we tried some poses, but Curtis is always drawing, so it seemed right to capture him focused & absorbed doing what he loves.
Outwardly Curtis is known for his outgoing & gregarious personality. However, behind this, he draws his energy from time alone away from his busy life. His sensitivity & introspection is revealed in his work & it is this “inner” side of him that I wanted to capture.”
Oil Study – Self Portrait
“In this study, I wanted to explore the effects of light on flesh tones, and experiment with a more impasto application of paint. I chose a pose which was rich in contrasts, & was interested in the light effects coming from above, creating shadows across my face, neck and shoulders. The expression is uncompromising – I wanted to convey both strength in the gaze as well as vulnerability in the intimate nature of the pose. However, the meaning of it is ambiguous and for the viewer to interpret.”
