Rachel and Ben

Rachel and Ben’s wedding at Saint Osyth Priory in Essex was full of so much love and laughter, yet their portrait here tells a story of a peaceful, romantic moment away from the wedding party.

I always try to paint people’s characters in their portraits and, since the painting was a surprise for Rachel, I hadn’t met her during our consultation. Though it was clear straight away how cheerfully free they are around one another, so that’s what I aimed to portray in their painting.

I love painting buildings and this side of the priory’s so feature-rich, with a view of the clocktower, ornate doors and a range of interesting windows. I posed Gus, looking very dapper in his doggy tux, at Ben’s feet like a Gainsborough composition and painted his fur with due care and attention.