I have only painted about 10 portraits in my life, mostly people I admire or want to pay homage too.

It is an unaccustomed exercise in observation, I think I need to paint them in the hope I can understand them better.

Greta Thunberg and Rod Donald were painted alongside my recent ‘landscape’ paintings. These ‘landscapes’ are blurred reflections of our natural world, the aspects of our invasion into it and the marks we leave.

Both Greta and Rod have made a difference to our landscape. They want/wanted to bring change for good; they are so much more than me, a part time tree planter, a talk fest participator, an artist who rights poems in quiet protest.

I have not met Greta, I would like to but I think I would quiver with her might, even a photo of her mesmerises me; her unforgettable eyes that are fixed upon our planet, piercing unbelievers like a pin into a balloon.

Rod I did meet, I shone his shoes in an art performance in Oamaru. We talked about anarchy, him more articulate than I, my brown nugget stained fingers worked hard to polish his humble boots.

I remember he had such a smile, and in the portrait I only hope I have made his smile big enough.

Iain Cheesman
May 2025