The Arts & Culture Journal

Fallyrag takes a rewarding look at the work of Andy Beck.

Hove-based artist Andy Beck captures perfect likeness in his portraits whilst also engaging his audience with a lesson in colour.

The first image is of his wife Bianca. Using confident strokes he skilfully weaves the blue background colour into the skin, face and skirt of the sitter. This blue is supported by wondering eyes that immediately grab the viewer’s attention.

When asked about the relationship between himself and the sitter Andy said: “I do make sketches from life but these days I paint mainly from photographs. I find that portraits, done over many hours directly from life, can tend to make the sitter appear too stern. Working from photos can help you to get more natural expressions and impart an emotion into the work, although in many ways you still have to remain objective to capture the likeness of the sitter.”

As seen in the collection here, he is also more than apt at capturing movement. Andy captures the beauty in everyday tasks that, for most of us, usually go completely unnoticed.

Citing Degas (Edgar) as an influence, it is clear to see a modern day equivalent in terms of subject matter. But where Degas portrayed the steady concentration of ballet dancers preparing to perform, it is the hectic setting of a restaurant kitchen that Andy artfully captures. Andy explains that the uniqueness of experience is encouraged by no predetermined message from the painter.