Image source, Courtesy of National Museums NI, Ulster Museums CollectionsFacts about Neil Shawcross
Neil is a painter who was born in Lancashire in England on the 15th March 1940.
He moved to Belfast to teach in Belfast School of Art in 1962 and retired in 2004.
Although he still visits Lancashire to see family, he very much sees Northern Ireland as his home.
Image source, Courtesy of National Museums NI, Ulster Museums Collections
Image source, Courtesy of National Museums NI, Ulster Museums CollectionsPortrait painting
Neil is mainly a portrait artist and paints large full-length portraits. A portrait is a painting of a person.
When he is painting Neil stands at arm’s length from the blank canvas and loosely makes marks.
He never paints a background as he feels this will take away from the personality of the person that he is painting.
Useful tools used by painters
Mark making
Neil is really inspired by children and loves to work with them.
Primary children have helped him to develop his style of making marks and being free with the brush.
Neil believes children shouldn't copy other peoples work or try to be neat when making use of the brush.
Instead, he encourages them to be free, to have fun, to play and to splash around with paint!
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