Public school teacher wins BP Portrait Award

Many say that their children are their greatest inspiration. For some artists, this statement holds true on several levels.  We've heard of Joe Dunne, winner of the Davy Portrait Awards in November for  an oil painting of his 15-year-old, Cara.  In recent  news, it's Peter Monkman being recognized for a portrait of his preteen.  Monkman, a public school teacher, won the BP Portrait Award on 16 June for an oil painting of Anna, his 12-year-old daughter.

"Changeling 2" by Peter Monkman. Image held here.

Monkman has done several portraits of Anna as she has grown up.  This year's edition, titled Changeling 2, earned Monkman the £25,000 prize.  While Dunne told Culture Northern Ireland that his Portrait of Cara was meant to show his youngest child's "quiet and reflective temperament," Monkman aimed for something a bit more surreal.  According to the Guardian, Monkman meant for his portrait to be "a little spooky" rather than sentimental. The portrait represents the changes and problems that come about when children grow into teenagers.

Monkman is the arts director at Charterhouse School, a well-known public school in Surrey.  On the school's website, Charterhouse Headmaster Revd John Witheridge expresses his excitement for Monkman.  "This is a remarkable achievement," Witheridge states.  "And our pupils are very fortunate to be taught and inspired by him."

But don't let the schoolteacher title fool you - Monkman's class syllabus includes much more than fingerpainting.  Witheridge asserts that the work standard in the school's art department is "extraordinarily high."  With his own studio in the school, Monkman and his works have a powerful presence there.

So how does Monkman's miniature muse feel about her father's award winning portrait?  "[Anna] is one of my greatest critics," Monkman told theGuardian. "And she did tell me I got certain things wrong."

Though he spends his days teaching children, it appears Monkman is not afraid to learn from them either.

Sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jun/17/bp-portrait-award-winner;http://www.charterhouse.org.uk/news/cultural/peter_monkman_wins_BP_portrait_award.asp;http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=2369

Originally published on the website of Circa Art Magazine on June 24, 2009. Link here.