Ray Johnstone

MEZINAIS ET AUTRES PORTRAITS
(Portrait of a Village)

One of the difficulties an artist who is interested in figurative painting (and portraits) always has, is the problem of finding a model.
For example:
What’s in if for the model?
What will the model charge?
When and where can the artist and model work?
Is there any chance the painting will sell?
There are many more.
Luckily, I’ve found a solution that suits my style and my temprement.
Some years ago, my wife Lynne stated unequivocally that she was finished with sitting for me as my model. 'It's boring and time consuming and the results are never flattering,' she said, 'so find yourself another model. Or other models.'
Fortunately taking a snap is neither boring nor time consuming and I managed to get her to stand still for a few moments while I took her picture.
Then I painted her portrait from the photograph.
And I like the result.
So that’s what I do now.
And it’s what I’m doing to prepare for my forthcoming exhibition that I hope to hold in the local Office d’Tourism or Tourist Office.
For the past ten years, I’ve lived in the small medieval village of Mézin in SW France.
The Mezinais are friendly, welcoming people, and I’ve started the project of painting their portraits. These are all done from photographs I take of them – i.e. to get around the problems I’ve listed above.
I plan to put on a show of about thirty paintings, but I see this as an ongoing project. In other words, paintings can be added and removed at will.
Watch this space for dates and other details.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ray Johnstone is an artist and writer. He was born in South Africa in 1943 and educated at Parktown Boys’ High School and the Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg. Ray graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts, majoring in painting, drawing and sculpture. He then participated in several group exhibitions in Johannesburg, including two at the prestigious Total Gallery.
One of his large nudes on show at a Pretoria exhibition created a controversy when a screen had to be erected around the painting to prevent it being seen by the then South African Prime Minister John Vorster.
Ray and his family emigrated to Australia in 1980 where he had seven solo exhibitions in Melbourne. In 1997 he won the Applied Chemicals International Acquisitive Prize for a watercolour of a Victorian factory. Australian radio personalities Terry Lane and Doug Aiton both have portraits done by Ray and his works are held by private collectors in France, Hong Kong, Holland the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Ray and his wife Lynne now live permanently at La Petite Galerie in a medieval village in southwest France where he exhibits regularly at the Mézin Tourist Office.
Ray and Lynne operate an art gallery, a gite (self catering holiday accommodation) and fully inclusive, live-in painting holidays.

In 1997 he won the Applied Chemicals International Acquisitive Prize for a watercolour of a Victorian factory. Australian radio personalities Terry Lane and Doug Aiton both have portraits done by Ray and his works are held by private collectors in France, Hong Kong, Holland the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.