Christelle Grey - Grooming Time
Christelle Grey - Grooming Time
An ordinary ritual becomes an intimate act of devotion as a cheetah carefully tends to her cub. Grooming Time reminds us that love is often found in the smallest gestures—the gentle, repeated acts of care that quietly shape a life.
Presented in a substantial black timber frame with an elegant, layered profile and narrow champagne-gold inner slip. The rich black adds depth to the surrounding landscape, while the warm inner edge complements the cheetahs’ coats and draws the eye towards their tender interaction.
Medium: Oil on linen
Size (framed): 570mm x 700mm
A word from the artist…
I’m inspired by texture, and approach a subject to paint by imagining how it feels. I have predominantly been using oils in recent years and enjoy building up a portrait gradually with thin layers, often over the course of a few weeks. I tend to work on a few paintings at a time to allow for drying time between layers.
I work from photos and prefer using my own as they are connected to memories. I find the subjects’ eyes are usually the focus and soul of my paintings, with the biggest challenge being to give them life with accurate shape, shadows, reflections and highlights. Sometimes the eye alone can end up as an entire separate painting.
I feel strongly about using good quality art materials that will stand the test of time. At the same time, I don’t hesitate to use a variety of tools to achieve the effect that I want. Fingers are excellent for softening lines in soft fur and I modify some brushes with thinning scissors for painting fine hairs. I once painted an entire painting with a cheap make-up brush.
- Christelle Grey
