Tina Wendon

I could use a thousand words to paint a picture of the pictures I paint, but they would tell you less than the work itself, because my paintings speak for themselves.

But, I do need words to say a few things about myself.

I grew up in Cambridge, England, the cradle of culture. I was no bluestocking, but I loved to draw. As a teen, I would sit for hours in village churchyards with a stick of charcoal and sketch the aging architecture.

After my grandmother died, I found a long-forgotten portrait by her mother-in-law amongst her things. It turns out, my great-grandmother, Amanda Brewster Sewell, had been a renowned 19th century portrait artist. I was astonished to discover how thoroughly my established painting style resonated with hers.

In my great-grandmother’s day, patrons vied to support emerging artists. It was different for me, I was doubtful that my art could sustain a livelihood, so I applied to the Architectural Association in London where I developed an appreciation for light, layout and structure. The anatomy of space and volume took me back to painting, and toward the human form. A genetic legacy plucking at my sleeve.

At Otis Parsons in Los Angeles, I fell in love with oil painting and overcame a fear of color. It wasn’t long before I discovered how to create a precise likeness without abandoning the gestural, life-giving aspect of painting. When commissions came my way, I started to think of myself as a portrait painter. While that remains true, my range is broader now. During the pandemic, I turned toward still-life pieces to convey something more pensive and introspective.

I like to think that whoever stands in front of a painting owns it—for as long as their eyes are upon it.

My work is not a veneer or facsimile of reality, I aim to paint beneath the surface. I go after the deeper stuff—the flavor, the feeling, the purpose, the point.

Fact is, I see better with my hands. I know there is both more on my brush than I can see, and less. I subtract from what I see, yet hope to capture something beyond my sight.

• tinawendon.com