Through the Eyes of… Trevor Felcey

THROUGH THE EYES OF...

TREVOR FELCEY

Many artists turned to self-portraiture during the isolating times of lockdown – it was a reliable source of subject matter at a time when it was difficult to go out, and models weren’t allowed. But for Trevor, the catalyst came just before the pandemic in January 2020. He was unwell and spent a week in hospital; when he emerged and returned to the studio, he began a self-portrait.

How did you find the experience? I usually make portraits of other people, and landscapes, so this was new and refreshingly interesting. I’m advanced in years and hadn’t really looked at myself in a mirror for a very long time. Perhaps feeling my own mortality enhanced the subject matter. I know every painting an artist makes is a statement that “the painter was here”, but a self-portrait says this in a most emphatic way.

So it actually made you contemplate your own passing? I’m in my 77th year and had had heart trouble, so it was on my mind anyway. There’s also the thought at the back of my mind that, in some small way, these paintings might be more interesting when I’ve gone.

How did you approach your self-portrait? For the first painting, I placed a sheep's skull in the background, helping to draw the eye into the deep space of the studio. I liked the fact the skull was the same size as my ear, but then realised how much an ear is like a skull - a convoluted form turning in on itself. That certainly changed my perception.

Were you happy with the end result? Six different versions followed, the driving force mainly being that of feeling dissatisfied with what I’d done, and in the hope of making something better. Each painting is very different; they are by no means repetitive. Each is a different formal idea, which I hope is self-explanatory.

Are they for sale, and if so, who buys them? Yes - at the time of writing, I’ve only got one left! They are bought by people who know my work, and like them enough to want to own them. I do still have one on the go, but I think they’re coming to an end. capture that a photograph doesn't? A photograph is just a fraction of a second in time and captures very little. It rarely looks like the person, and with landscape, is never what it was like being there. A painting is made over many hours of intense scrutiny; every mark is a response to something seen and experienced, and carries multiple feelings and emotions. That’s why good paintings always surprise one - however many times one has seen them before, they always give something new. l

Trevor Felcey’s art can be found at the New Gallery Portscatho, an artist-run showroom and studios and home of the Portscatho Art Society.

Open Thursday to Saturday, 10am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5pm, and by appointment. Tel 01872 580719, www.thenewgalleryportscatho.co.uk