With most portrait commissions one has some direct likeness to aim at. In this case, however, I was asked to paint a picture of a distant ancestor of whom there was no visual record but of whom it was known he had been made a Portuguese Viscount and had been awarded several honours. In order to achieve historical accuracy and heraldic propriety, I had recourse to the sevices of as specialist in such matters. For the main face, I had recourse, as might be expected to that of his descendent.

Recently, I had a painting in an exhibition for which a catalogue was printed. Rather than put my C.V next to the image that most other exhibitors did, I thought that a quote would add something more to the picture.

Say to yourself in the early morning: " I shall meet today inquisitive, ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All these things have come upon them through ignorance of real good and ill. But because I have seen that the nature of good is the right and of the ill the wrong and that the nature of the man who does wrong is akin to my own (not of the same blood but partaking with me in mind in a portion of divinity), I can neither be harmed by any of them, for no man will involve me in wrong nor can I be angry with my kinsman; for we have come in this world together like hands, feet, or the upper and lower teeth to work against one another. Therefore to oppose nature. A quotation from Marcus Aulrelius (Roman Emperor). I chose this quotation from one of my favourite religious philosphers, Marcus Aurelius because it seems to me a noble example of introspective reflection of the sort that one may benefit from before embarking upon the trials of the day. And that moment of early morning meditation before one leaves one's own space and enters that of the world is perhaps the real subject of the painting - just as much the man depicted.

Regarding commissions, I am always pleased to hear ideas that people have for pictures as well as to have requests for straight forward portraits - of people, houses animals or whatever. It is a great stimulus to work with other people to try to produce something that they and I would be pleased with. I do not normally accept money until a picture has been entirely finished and the client is happy. Prices depend mainly on the time involved. If a person is wearing elaborate clothes then that would take longer to paint than plain clothes. Drawings being much more direct are quicker to execute and are I think an excellent and cheaper alternative to full-scale oil paintings. As an illustration of my prices, the picture of the man's ancestor cost £2000. I am very pleased to travel and will not work from photographs if a commissioner doesn't want me to. It is good to have a large number of sittings for a portrait but as most people are very busy, one must be able to make use of whatever time people can give you.