Rob Hefferan

Working with chalk pastels, oils and acrylics, his figurative pieces capture, in his own words, “life as it is lived”. Rob, who once worked in advertising with brands such as the BBC and Volkswagen, draws much of his inspiration from the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He uses brushstrokes to create an atmospheric backdrop and a harmony between colour, light and texture.

The startling realism and inner radiance gives Rob’s work a photographic quality. He recreates the poetry of skin’s tone and structure, paying homage to the complex interaction of musculature, tissue and bone. Like the Pre-Raphaelites, he draws out the painting very accurately and completes a section each day.

Rob says: “For me to just paint what I see is dull; the real skill is to paint what exists only in your imagination and add these elements to the final paintings.”