Equality and Human Rights Commission

Self in still water | oil paint

Select image to enlarge

About Georgia

Georgia Marshall Evangelou has always loved art. By the time she was 7, says her mother Natalia, she was already doing ‘abstracts in a Cubist style.’ She attends St Paul’s primary school in Winchmore Hill, London, but did this self-portrait at an outside art club. ‘I got a few tips, but I did most of it by myself,’ she says.

Georgia chose to paint herself in the bath because it is a place where she can relax and ‘imagine things’. It is also an activity that makes her appreciate living in a country where she has access to hot water and time for reflection.

She worked from a photograph, taking a whole term working on in to get the texture and detail right. ‘I looked at how the hair under the water is thinner and lighter-looking than the hair above the water. The last thing I put on was the details of the light on the water.’

At the moment Georgia is working on a pop art project, inspired by Roy Lichtenstein. Next year she starts secondary school, but she already has her sights set upon a degree at the Royal College of Art. ‘I’m interested in people’s faces and sketching,’ she says. ‘I’d definitely like to be a professional artist.’

Georgia's comments

'This oil painting is a self portrait of me floating in a bath. It has a feeling of tranquillity. This is a real privilege. I know this because in other countries people would not have this water or the time to do such a thing. Here in Britain we are fortunate enough to have the facilities, water and leisure. When I’m relaxing in still water, I let my mind wander and my thoughts drift. I think that my painting captures this feeling.'