Cher Pruys is a self-taught artist who works in different mediums. Here, she describes the thought process that goes into her portrait painting 

I choose my subjects carefully to engage my audience ? and also to share a story. Usually, I like to take numerous photos of them from many angles before starting the portrait painting. Even though these differ from my chosen pose for the final composition, I find this allows me to get to know the person well and to form a connection with them. I prefer natural light when I take photos as I feel it has a much softer look. I believe that lighting is of the utmost importance to a successful composition.

Light evokes so many feelings and conveys emotion. I spent a lot of time understanding light and paying attention to how it affects what we see. My portrait paintings s vary in the light I portray, as they all have different moods and convey different messages, such as nostalgia, romance and even emptiness. To tell a story that engrosses viewers is a driving factor in the portraits I like to paint, as this lends itself to the piece becoming one that leaves a lasting impression. 
Flashback 1960 is an  example of the sibling connection. This is my sister and me ? I?m the small one ? in the matching bathing suits our mother insisted we wear. This continued until the teen years, when we spent a number of years, like most siblings ? especially sisters ? refusing to acknowledge our family connection!

Once I have decided ...