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Name: Polly Mackintosh

School: Tiffin Girls' School

Town: Kingston Upon Thames KT2 5PL

County: Surrey

Year: Year 13

Inspiration: I am influenced by the beauty of colour in my environment, hoping to always bring vibrancy to my work through exploration of this. Henri Matisse has shaped my own art work, as I believe he uses colour and pattern in a dynamic and refreshing way. Light has also been of great inspiration to me, as I love the way that it can conjure a certain mood and manipulate an atmosphere to become something completely different. Finally, I am always fascinated by the story behind the final outcome; the journey it takes to get there. My youth has encouraged me to consider different perspectives and interpretations of art.

Title: Figure in the interior

Description: I wanted to create a piece which captures the essence of a solitary, pensive moment, reflecting myself at 18 years of age. My initial inspiration for the composition was taken from Alice Neel's work; I love her vibrant paintings which subvert the traditional portrait style to create something new and exciting. She also communicates a real sense of the personality of the character she paints, something which I have tried to bring to my own work through my expression and paint application. I hoped to evoke warmth in the skin tones of the face to show youth, carefully studying the work of Lucian Freud as a source of inspiration. Overall, I hoped to create something classic and timeless, thus introducing an element of sentimentality by wearing the shirt my mother wore at her wedding.

Medium: Oil on canvas

Width: 180 Height: 220

Keywords: Figure, interior, pensive