Portrait Art

The Pain of Disappointment (the expression on the athlete’s face after finishing the 200m backstroke at the 2010 World Masters Swimming Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden)

This is actually our chronicle. My husband raced in the water, and the imprint of this story remained on his face:

“The pain of disappointment is GREATER than the pain of self-discipline.”

We read this text on the T-shirt of an athlete who competed with my husband…

The same is true on the spiritual front… If we discipline ourselves to train our spirit according to the word of God, and we are constant in this, then we have the right to claim the high result of our faith, which, as the Bible says, “moves mountains.” The mountain (incurable diseases/pressure from demonic forces/circumstances that destroy life/etc. - all of these) will retreat if we do not retreat.

'Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving. '
COLOSSIANS 4:2 AMP

'Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].'

HEBREWS 4:16 CUV

This portrait presents an elderly woman with a gentle, knowing expression, her vibrant hair and softly lit face drawing you in.

The colorful approach adds warmth and life to her calm demeanor, while her clasped hands suggest quiet strength and reflection.

The interplay of light and shadow highlights her character, making this piece a meaningful addition to any space seeking a touch of humanity and color.

Immerse yourself in the magical world of analogue photography and discover our unique black and white photo, which started life as a cute child's drawing. More than just a picture, it's an emotional time capsule that captures life's most precious moments.

Every line, shadow and expression reflects the deep bond between a father and his daughter. The image was captured with love and dedication on analogue film to preserve the authentic beauty of this unique moment.

This photo is not just a work of art; it is a journey through time that will take you back to that special moment again and again. The striking black and white aesthetic gives the image a timeless quality that highlights the feelings and bonds between father and daughter in a very special way.

Bring the magic of childhood and the unconditional love between parents and children to life with this photo. Order now and give yourself or a loved one a piece of memory that will stay with you forever.

Mixed media, of My brother Vincent. I asked him to give me one sentence that he felt would help the human race. This was his reply.

The painting is about how a woman of a certain social status longs for the freedom represented by a heron. To look at the world through the eyes of a free bird means to let go of fears and live with courage, to dare to be true to yourself and live your dreams.

Icons Of Music

As a young lad, I used to visit my uncle Arthur to see what painting he had on his easel that day. He influenced my art, but in another way, he influenced my music tastes. He had a large gramophone player and a collection of 78s that were always playing when we visited. Sinatra, Dean Martin, and other crooners of the day that drifted around the house as he painted.

Later came the 60s and The Beatles, etc. which took me onto another track. As a teenager, I painted these icons, which made me popular with my classmates, especially the girls. And now, sixty years later, I am still painting these icons of music, which are as popular as they were then, when I was sixteen years old.

This collection brings together ten portraits of the musicians who have soundtracked my life: The Rat Pack, Roy Orbison, Freddie Mercury, Bob Dylan, Ella Fitzgerald, David Bowie, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, and Bruce Springsteen. Each piece is a personal tribute, painted by someone who grew up listening, watching, and quietly sketching them from record sleeves and magazine photos.

Some portraits are in black and white watercolour, echoing the grainy photographs and television images of the 1960s. Others are in richer oils, capturing the colour and energy of later performances and enduring legends. Together they form a bridge between eras, from the smoky clubs and early TV shows to the stadium stages and spotlights that came later.

One of my most cherished memories is painting Roy Orbison as a teenager and nervously handing him the portrait at a concert in 1965. He signed it for me, “The Big O” himself, and later, in a moment of youthful folly, I gave that signed painting away to impress a girl. I never saw the painting or the girl again, but the memory of that meeting has stayed with me, and it lives again in this newer portrait.

These paintings are my way of saying thank you to the voices, the songs, and the faces that have stayed with me from my teenage years to today. I hope they bring back your own memories too,of a particular song, a first concert, or simply a voice that still makes you stop and listen.

There's a reason portrait work is so hard to do well – you're not just capturing a subject, you're capturing a relationship. Between photographer and subject, between light and skin, between a person and the version of themselves they're willing to show.

This round of ArtHelper Selects is open to all mediums: photography, painting, drawing, digital, mixed media. If a person is the subject, it's in.

📌 HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ART

Leave a comment on this thread with an image of your best piece for the category!

One image per person. If you submit more than one, the extras will be removed. Choose your best! 🙂

📌 HOW VOTING WORKS

Anyone can vote! Just hit the upvote button on the entries you love most. The image with the most votes when the contest closes wins.

End Date: April 22, 2026

📌 WHAT THE WINNER GETS

👑 A crown badge displayed next to their name in ArtHelper to show off the win!

🌟 The winning image shared on the ArtHelper Instagram! (22k+ followers)

Fun perks for the winner aside, ArtHelper Selects is really just about celebrating all the amazing work coming from our community. Let’s make this thread uplifting and supportive for everyone participating! 

See some art you love? Consider giving them a follow on ArtHelper so you can see when they make new posts. 

I painted this portrait several years ago. At that time, I only painted portraits. Then I decided to do floral paintings. From time to time, I do a portrait.

This woman, having a wealthy husband and everything that an ordinary woman needs for a quiet life - a house, a car, providing for children..., from the first days of the russists occupation became an operating surgery nurse at a stabilization point a few kilometers from the front line... Now she continues to actually live underground (the stabilization point is buried 6 meters so that enemy artillery does not interfere with continuous operations) to save the lives of heroic Ukrainian soldiers...

This is a detail from one of my late husband David Delamare's portraits.

"Ophelia was painting in oil on an 18x24-inch canvas.

I posted an essay in the "Creative Process" group that discusses what we sought in models and what it was like to work with this particular model/muse.