Artists unveil collection of 100 portraits

Chris Slater and Ken Horne, both members of Rotherham Open Arts Renaissance (ROAR), painted 50 people each at a rate of one a week.

They capture the faces of ordinary Rotherham folk and sometimes their pets.

Asked why they went for 100 portraits, Chris said: “I just like the figure.

“One portrait a week each, for one year, sounded like an interesting and manageable project to the artists.”

Ken said: “We wanted it to be long-term, but not last forever.”

They had no problem recruiting 100 people to sit for the portraits, spreading the word with posters and by mouth.

But some of the subjects some friends and many strangers  proved easier to paint than others.

The most challenging one for me was when one bloke fetched his dog in, said Chris.

“It didn’t sit still long enough for us to tell what breed it was,” he said.

Ken added: “The person I had known longest, 60 years, I found the most difficult to do.

“Perhaps I know him so well I can’t just see him.”

The duo hoped to capture the towns most interesting faces, as their notices advertised.

Ken said: “You look around at people walking on the streets and we look like weve lived a hard life.

“That was where the focus on interesting faces came from.”

The exhibition at The Factory on Wortley Road — a new art space for the town — opened last weekend and is open from 10am and 3pm until Saturday.