Testimonials
From the first email enquiring about a commissioned painting, to the delivery of the finished article, I could not be more impressed with John’s work.
I am a Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) at Her Majesty’s Tower of London. With my retirement approaching, I wanted a portrait, in my State Dress uniform, as a reminder of my time as part of the Royal Household. This commission will be a lasting memory of the culmination of my 45-year military career. I had to choose someone I could trust to undertake it.
Looking through John’s back catalogue, I was extremely impressed and approached him to undertake my commission. From the outset John was easy to communicate with, responded promptly and was enthusiastic about the project. We initially communicated by email and then had several discussions about what exactly I wanted. John listened to my ideas and was able to offer advice on the best way of achieving the result I was after.
John first produced an outline sketch to confirm it met my requirements. We agreed some minor adjustments to the sketch and he then started on the final painting. During the production of the painting, I received regular progress reports. As it came towards the end of the piece of work, John was able to advise me on the type of mount and framing to show the painting off at its best.
To say I am impressed with the finished painting is a complete understatement. The likeness and character; the detail on my uniform and accoutrements that John was able to reproduce in a painting surpassed even my wildest expectations. If you are looking for someone to undertake a commission at very reasonable rates and outstanding quality, you need look no further. I have no hesitation in recommending John Whitchurch Art – 5* rating from an incredibly satisfied customer.
Dave Phillips
Yeoman Warder
HM Tower of London
I cannot rate John Whitchurch Art more highly.
The professionalism, support and communication throughout the commission process was faultless. John was commissioned to pastel a horse (Paddy) which I owned for almost 30 years, so there was some apprehension initially in whether that sort of devotion could be captured in pastel on canvas. Well, I can only say that when I received the pastel art I was simply speechless. The likeness of a horse that had been such a large part of my life for so long was something I could never have imagined being captured like it was. The expertise, appreciation and sensitivity that was taken in capturing Paddy is something I will be forever grateful for, and now sits pride of place in our living room. I would happily recommend John Whitchurch and will be supporting this superb artist again in the future.
Lisa Guerin
Assistant Contact Centre Manager
Engagement with John Whitchurch Art, when choosing a commissioned painting, was a pleasurable experience.
Prior to choosing the oil painting on canvas I had seen numerous works of John's and was always so impressed with his eye for detail, and the length at which he would go to research a project. His total dedication and focus on a set piece is something that has never ceased to amaze me. As a very keen collector of military historical artwork, I was astounded at John's research to ensure all the period clothing and surroundings were precise to that era.
John is delightful to work with and the complete journey from start to finish with John Whitchurch Art has been an absolute pleasure, with the results speaking for themselves. I would use him again in a heartbeat and highly recommend him to others.
Captain Neil Guerin
Adjutant Small Arms School Corps
I have found the whole experience of working with John on my commissions to be a pleasant and rewarding experience.
He accepted my requirements with good grace and humour even when I changed my mind several times and came up with artistic solutions beyond my expectations. The final result was superb and I will continue to enjoy the end results for the rest of my life.
I would highly recommend his skills to any prospective client.
Tony Watts
Proprietor, London Prop Hire Company
I AM NO ART CRITIC, BUT!
I am no art critic, but the picture John did for me is excellent.
My wonderful Cocker Spaniel passed away and I needed something to capture his image to give me a permanent reminder of him.
I saw John’s website and his catalogue looked great, especially the dogs. So I sent my favourite photograph of my dog “Charlie Brown” and commissioned a picture based on that.
All communication from John was clear and prompt, and once commissioned he gave me an expected completion date, to which he stuck. He sent me updates of progression throughout, easing my expectations.
When I met him to collect the picture, I was taken aback by the detail and colours John had put into it. He had even captured my silhouette (in taking the photo) in the reflections in Charlie Brown’s eyes which brought more realism to the picture.
John’s work has achieved everything that I wanted and more, I am so happy that I can look at the picture and be reminded of great times with my wonderful dog, with his character jumping out of his smiling image.
Thank you John, you have made me a happy man, and I would highly recommend any potential client to engage John for his work.
Tony Burke
Health and Safety Manager
I worked with John some years ago and came across his new life, as an artist after leaving the Army, via Facebook. He's a great guy; very genuine with a superb sense of humour.
We have a really nice dog (Bernard the Spaniel..or BtS for short) and we have been looking for the ideal person to do a portrait of him.
After contacting John and discussing the feasibility of a portrait of BtS, we chatted through the options for a backdrop for the portrait, the orientation of the painting, medium and size. we chose the spiritual location of the Holy Island / Bamburgh coast line for the background, as it was special to us, and supplied John a selection of reference photos of BtS and a photo of the landscape on which we ideally would like him positioned. John produced preliminary sketches followed by discussions to confirm he was on the right track.
In the final painting John has capture the ‘magical moment’ for us and the detail of BtS’s likeness is perfect, even down to his 'screamy' rear paw (John knows the story!).
It's really satisfying to see someone retire from such a long military career and pursue something they are enthusiastic about, really good at, and who thoroughly enjoys the end results (almost as much as the customer).
We would use John again in a heart beat.
Thank you John, we are really pleased.
Phil Pitcher
Chartered Engineer
Associate Consultant
FAITHFUL REPRODUCTION
I had seen quite a lot of John’s work so I already had high expectations when I commissioned him to paint Buster, my son’s family’s much adored cat.
However, from just a few photographs off my phone, John not only faithfully reproduced Buster, accurately painting all his complex markings, but magically captured his character.
It was stunning. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My son, Rupert, had a similar reaction when I proudly presented it to him on his recent birthday. The children joyfully shouted, “It’s Buster!”
Thank you, John. The portrait made a very special gift.
I’m chasing my dog around getting photos for my next commission!
Sue Clarke
Company Owner
