Olivia is a portrait and figurative artist based in London. She studied traditional portraiture in Florence for four years at Charles Cecil Studios. Here, she learnt the old masters technique called the ‘sight-size’ method whereby you measure and observe the model from a distance and to the scale of life whilst painting under natural light. Masters such as John Singer Sargent and Sir Thomas Lawrence used this technique whilst its origins lie in the practise of Van Dyke, Velasquez and Titian.
Since leaving Florence, Olivia has embarked on her own creative journey of self-expression, welcoming many different styles to her practise, whilst harnessing the skills gained at Charles Cecil. Her work draws comparisons to the somewhat different styles of Gauguin and Gwen John. Gauguin’s mystical, colourful symbolism and his depictions of Polynesian women contrasts beautifully with Gwen John’s soft, gentle palette, rendering a range of closely related tones.