David Hardy
David Hardy, London-based artists painted a series of portrait entitled “The Faces project”. These are portraits of famous people, the list includes rock star Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Amy Winehouse, movie star Cameron Diaz, Emma Watson, and adult entertainment personality Hugh Hefner, and other famous persons.
One interesting painting “The Omo Valley Warrior” shows a portrait of a warrior of the Omo Valley in Ethiopia. The clever stroke of the soft colors and abstract shape of the background provides an effective contrast with the striking body painting and the red and yellow cloth worn by the warrior, and also the rifle on his shoulder. This simple concept brings the painting to life. Another of his work that accidently caught our attention is entitles “moment Before The Kiss” which portrays two young women in a sexually arousing position, but the master stroke of this painting are the red lips of the blond and the brunette which are pronounced with the dark blue background and the bright colored skin of the ladies.
Indiefonica: Why do you paint human faces?
David Hardy: The reason for painting people and in particular to just there faces and shoulders was to produce a big body of work for a massive solo exhibition entitled faces. It consisted of famous people from various spheres of show business. I have since dropped this due to the exhibition falling through as I needed a really big space.When I realized that It wasn't going ahead, I sort of slowed down with it and I think I only produced around 20 paintings when I really wanted to have around 50 for it.
I will continue to paint portraits, but the 'faces' project was a project about famous people... and isn't going to continue.
As well as a portrait painter I also paint figurative, still life and semi abstract paintings.
Indiefonica: As a portrait artist, which part of the face is the hardest to paint?
David Hardy: There is no real hardest part, I'm not a hyper realist painter so I think I can get away with more.However some portraits need more layers which only takes up time, which was the hardest thing for me as I was only working on one painting at a time.
Indiefonica: What difference do you feel when you paint the face of a man and the face of a woman? (if there is any)
David Hardy: Men are usually easier to paint as you can get away with a lot more on a male subject. The females usually had make up so they needed some subtle techniques like feathering etc.
Indiefonica: Of the faces that you have ever painted, did you ever see them appear in your dream? If any, which faces are those?
David Hardy: I can't say I can recall any paintings appearing in my dreams. My dreams tend to be very random.
Indiefonica: Did you ever make a nude portrait? If you have, could we see them?
David Hardy: I have done nudes in the past and was going to do a series of porn paintings but I ended up only doing one. I was living in a homeless hostel at the time of painting it. 
Indiefonica: Do you paint more often in daytime or nighttime?
David Hardy: I paint when the mood takes me.... Usually afternoon, then a break and then evening, but I sometimes I may paint for 16 hours solid. It all depends...
Indiefonica: Recently we saw your portrait paintings of the Omo valley people, what makes you attracted to paint them?
David Hardy: I was attracted by the body paint and striking images, but again I'm not sure I'm going to pursue this project. I am now concentrating on some semi abstract city scape pieces.
Indiefonica: What motivates you as an artist to keep making your art?
David Hardy: One motive is to always find out what I can turn a blank canvas in to. I also want to know that people have my work on their walls that they admire and talk about, that's a big ego boost too.
Indiefonica: What other talent do you wish to posses besides painting?
David Hardy: I used to be a singer in a rock band many years ago, and I'd like to think that I can still hold a note, but I only really sing in the bath now days.
Indiefonica: What is your idea of beauty?
David Hardy: Sometimes, simplicity is my idea of beauty.
Indiefonica: If cookie monster commissioned you to paint the cookie monster and then pays you with cookies, what cookie flavor do you prefer to get paid with?
David Hardy: Money flavour ;P (I'm not really a big cookie fan) - I do have a fact about the Cookie Monster. They never actually had cookies on set of Sesame Street for him as they would taint the fur, so they used rice cakes.
More Info:
http://www.davidhardyart.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/davidhardyartist
Last Updated on Friday, 30 December 2011 18:52