On the fifteenth of March 2012, ART LOGIC received a commission request for a portrait: a member of the 'Santos family' was retiring and the hunt was on for a gift that would adequately represent his considerable contribution to the company. A life-sized painting (referenced from a photo) had been chosen as the perfect send off, and the source for the artist: a photograph from National Geographic.

After discussing the desired style and other necessities with those at Santos who were doing the organising, we selected the artist Greg O’Leary to take on this task. Greg was thrilled (and possibly a little daunted) by the idea.

One thing was missing; a portrait is best done in person, with the artist able to get a ‘feel’ for the subject through multiple sittings or, in a pinch, a collection of extremely good photos showing the subject in different lightings and from different angles.

Photos can be misleading – it is easy to have the incorrect white balance for a certain light, or it is taken from a strange angle under odd light or the person has a strange expression on their face which renders them unrecognisable. Photos are the product of a second, while portraits are built upon over months, with the artist observing how the subject holds themselves, moves, their usual expressions and their personality. It’s a lot to take in, and none of these things can be found in any detail in a photo!

However, this portrait was to be a surprise to Brian, so a photo would have to do. Greg began planning his portrait.

A few weeks into this process, a new idea blossomed in the minds of the organisers (headed by a lovely man called Norm), and we received two additional images:
 

Certainly a different idea to the first! Having the then-Brian occupy the same space as the now-Brian and connecting the two with his beloved oil rig is not exactly a normal type of portrait request, but far from impossible to accommodate! Upon recieving these images, we were told that we would get a final image of the three photos together in a layout similar to what they wanted. This was it:
 

Now, it may not occur to you at first, but here at ART LOGIC we are very careful to think through each and every one of our pieces and consider how they appear to the viewer. What immediately stood out to us was the image of the now-Brian floating in the sky in a somewhat ghostly way, foreshadowing that which waits for all of us but few of us like to really talk about. Deciding that it possibly wasn’t their intention to portray Brian as a ghostly apparition, we organised a meeting with Norm, the aforementioned leader of organisers, to discuss the final layout of the portrait.

As tradition (should) dictate, the first meeting at Greg O’Leary’s studio was prefaced with coffee and cake.
 

We soon got down to business, pulling out the blank canvas to discuss how best to combine the three elements of the two Brians and the oil rig in a way which would be aesthetically pleasing and logical (preferably without inferring any imminent death or injury).
 

Greg proposed a simple layout which also contained a horizon line, a piece of the Australian Outback many who spend time there remember vividly.
 

Norm agreed that having the now-Brian on the same level as then-Brian was an improvement, and with that out of the way, we discussed the placement of the other elements. The rig, being important to Brian at both ends of his career, should surely go in the middle? This was quickly agreed upon, at which point we ran into a slight problem.

Logically, since we in the Western World read from left to right, we naturally understand the progression of things in this order. So, the then-Brian would need to sit on the left of the rig, and the now-Brian on the right. But since they’re both facing to the right (their left), this unbalances the image. Balancing the portrait would mean the two Brians facing each other, but this was easier said than done: no photos existed of Brian facing the other way, and to take any more without an obvious reason may have aroused his suspicion.

And so, Greg had to rely on his best artistic instinct. No mean feat when dealing with portraiture; the two sides of the same face may be quite different, not to mention how Brian takes to parting his hair – all of which made inverting the image somewhat of a challenge. But our artists are a hardy lot, and Greg persevered in creating the other side of Brian’s face.

If you ever wondered how long it takes to paint a portrait, this one took two months of solid work once the layout was finalised.

The day of the presentation arrived, and Greg presented his finished portrait to to Brian in the flesh – the first time he had ever met him!
 

Now, Brian was not expecting even a farewell party, since technically he had worked all of this time as a Contractor, chiefly in charge of Rig 32 (the very same rig that is in the portrait). Imagine his surprise when he arrived at the restaurant to not only a party organised in his honour, but a wonderful gift on top of that! 

As you can see, Brian was thrilled with the result (as were all those who organised the work). It’s certainly something he can tell his great-grandchildren about!
 

If you would like a commissioned portrait, contact ART LOGIC.