EXHIBITION: ANATOMY OF A PORTRAIT

Dedicated to portraiture, Lizzie Coles is motivated to coax out spirit and personality - striving to capture a moment with small nuances of gestures and idiosyncrasies. Discovered in a rub of their chin or stretch of their neck, these subtle expressions are what feed her creativity. They are as integral and fundamental as the likeness and physical accuracy - intertwining to produce an overall image of individuality.

In this show, she strips back her process and shares the evolution of the finished piece. Displaying the preparation sketches, alongside the finished paintings, we are drawn into a behind-the-scenes exploration. We see the studies that have fed her understanding of the sitter and how the composition emerges.

The Anatomy of a Portrait displays a unique passion for understanding the physical anatomy of the body and the face with the exploration of character and identity.

After studying Animation at University in Farnham, she pursued a career in advertising developing campaigns for John Lewis, L’Oréal, Nestle & Barclays. She subsequently moved to Paris to bring up her children, where she dedicated 5 years of study to life drawing at the Académie de La Grande Chaumière, Paris. Now back in the UK, her focus is portraiture, developing skills and techniques to incorporate watercolour with the pencil drawings that she’s so passionate about. Her work extends through delicate graphite studies to larger-than-life mixed media paintings with a unique exploration through colour and tone. lizziecolesart.com

Location: The Art Space, Cass Art Kingston

Dates:

• Exhibition runs: 3rd - 28th November 2025
• Private View: Saturday 15th November 2025, 3pm-5pm, to RSVP message Lizzie on Instagram @lizziecoles

Admission: FREE

Please note, this exhibition takes place on the first floor and there is no step-free access.