Phil Hale

Last updated
Phil Hale
A photograph of artist Phil Hale.jpg
Hale in 2017
Born1963 (age 6061)
NationalityAmerican
EducationApprenticed to Richard Berry
Known forPortraiture, fine art, photography, drawing
Notable workOfficial portrait of Prime Minister Tony Blair (2007)
Movement Figurative painting
AwardsThird Place BP Portrait Award (2000), Joint Second Place BP Portrait Award (2001)
Patron(s)Peter Hall, Adam Jones
Website http://philhalestudio.com

Philip Oliver Hale (born 1963) [1] is an American figurative painter who currently resides in London, England.

Contents

Early life and education

Hale was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1963. He is related to a number of American painters, including Ellen Day Hale, Lilian Westcott Hale, Philip Leslie Hale and Robert Beverly Hale. His mother and grandmother were also artists. [2]

Hale spent the formative years of his childhood in Nairobi, Kenya, where his parents were stationed for work. [3]

Early work

At age 16, Hale was apprenticed to American painter Rick Berry in Boston, where he lived for three years until migrating to the United Kingdom.

During this period, he illustrated a number of book covers for American novelist Stephen King, including The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three published in 1987 and his gift edition of Insomnia . [3]

Current work

Hale's current work focuses on figure as well, in depictions of slightly surreal scenes with strange characters performing various physical feats, usually in a confrontation of some sort.

In 2007, Hale was commissioned by the House of Commons to paint the official portrait of former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair. The finished painting was unveiled in Westminster on April 23, 2008. Mr Blair sat for the portrait during his final months in office in 2007. [4] [5]

In 2014, Hale was recruited by G-Star RAW to produce their Spring/Summer ’14 campaign “The Challenge”. He created a series of photographic collages of a chess match between Chess World Champion Magnus Carlsen, and model Lily Cole.

In 2015, he exhibited 15 oil paintings and at 18 pencil drawings in an exhibition titled Life Wants to Live. The exhibition showed at Jonathan LeVine's Gallery in New York and was later published as a book. [6] [7]

He also recently formed the movie production company "unprofessional.com" with his son Callum Hale Thomson. It specialises in bespoke analogue filmmaking.

Hale's work is featured in major collections including the Palace of Westminster, National Portrait Gallery, Lord's Cricket Ground, Sony and Warner Bros. [1] [3]

Published works

Major works

Audio

Book covers

He was commissioned by Penguin Classics to paint new covers for new editions of six Joseph Conrad books, published in 2007: Heart of Darkness and The Congo Diary, Typhoon and Other Stories, Lord Jim , Under Western Eyes , The Nigger of the 'Narcissus' and Other Stories, Nostromo and The Secret Agent .

Comic Books

Covers

Interiors

Magazines

Covers

Interiors

Other published work

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernie Wrightson</span> American comic artist (1948–2017)

Bernard Albert Wrightson was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his adaptation of the novel Frankenstein illustration work, and for his other horror comics and illustrations, which feature his trademark intricate pen and brushwork.

<i>The Sandman</i> (comic book) Graphic novels by Neil Gaiman, 1989–1996

The Sandman is a comic book written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. Its artists include Sam Kieth, Mike Dringenberg, Jill Thompson, Shawn McManus, Marc Hempel, Bryan Talbot, and Michael Zulli, with lettering by Todd Klein and covers by Dave McKean. The original series ran for 75 issues from January 1989 to March 1996. Beginning with issue No. 47, it was placed under DC's Vertigo imprint, and following Vertigo's retirement in 2020, reprints have been published under DC's Black Label imprint.

Vertigo Comics is an imprint of American comic book publisher DC Comics started by editor Karen Berger in 1993. Vertigo's purpose was to publish comics with adult content, such as nudity, drug use, profanity, and graphic violence, that did not fit the restrictions of DC's main line, thus allowing more creative freedom. Its titles consisted of company-owned comics set in the DC Universe, such as The Sandman and Hellblazer, and creator-owned works, such as Preacher, Y: The Last Man and Fables.

<i>Hellblazer</i> 1988–2020 comic book series

John Constantine, Hellblazer is an American contemporary horror comic-book series published by DC Comics since January 1988, and subsequently by its Vertigo imprint since March 1993, when the imprint was introduced. Its central character is the streetwise English sorcerer and con man John Constantine, who was created by Alan Moore and Stephen R. Bissette, and first appeared as a supporting character in Swamp Thing #37, during that creative team's run on that title. Hellblazer had been published continuously since January 1988, and was Vertigo's longest-running title, the only remaining publication from the imprint's launch. In 2013, the series concluded with issue 300, and was replaced by Constantine, which returned the character to the mainstream DC Universe. The original series was revived in November 2019 for twelve issues as part of The Sandman Universe line of comics, under the DC Black Label brand. Well known for its extremely pessimistic tone and social/political commentary, the series has spawned a film adaptation, television show, novels, and multiple spin-offs and crossovers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Orchid (character)</span> DC Comics character

Black Orchid is the name of four superheroines published by DC Comics. The original version of the character first appeared in Adventure Comics #428.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Maclise</span> Irish history, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator

Daniel Maclise was an Irish history painter, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England.

Shawn McManus is an American artist who has worked extensively over three decades for DC Comics and other companies, notably for DC's Vertigo imprint including the Fables series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Frederic Watts</span> English painter (1817–1904)

George Frederic Watts was a British painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical works, such as Hope and Love and Life. These paintings were intended to form part of an epic symbolic cycle called the "House of Life", in which the emotions and aspirations of life would all be represented in a universal symbolic language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Vess</span> American fantasy and comics artist

Charles Vess is an American fantasy artist and comics artist who has specialized in the illustration of myths and fairy tales. His influences include British "Golden Age" book illustrator Arthur Rackham, Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Mucha, and comic-strip artist Hal Foster, among others. Vess has won several awards for his illustrations. Vess' studio, Green Man Press, is located in Abingdon, VA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Zulli</span> American artist (1952–2024)

Michael Zulli was an American artist known for his work as an animal and wildlife illustrator and as a comic book illustrator. Best known for his work on the Sandman.

Chris Weston is a British comics artist who has worked both in the US and UK comics industries.

John Thomas Totleben is an American illustrator working mostly in comic books.

Kent Robert Williams is an American painter and graphic novel artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Yeates</span> American comics artist

Thomas Yeates is an American comic strip and comic book artist best known for illustrating the comic strips Prince Valiant and Zorro and for working on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

<i>DC Comics Absolute Edition</i> Series of archival quality printings of graphic novels

DC Comics Absolute Edition is a series of archival quality printings of graphic novels published by DC Comics and its imprints WildStorm Productions and Vertigo. Each is presented in a hardcover and slipcased edition with cloth bookmark consisting of one or more books which include restored, corrected and recolored versions of the original work, reprinted at 8 by 12 inches. Also included are supplemental materials regarding the creation of the work, including sketches, comic scripts and memos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiichi Tanaami</span> Japanese artist (1936–2024)

Keiichi Tanaami was a Japanese pop artist who was active as multi-genre artist from the 1960s as a graphic designer, illustrator, video artist and fine artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Perkins</span> British comic book artist

Michael Perkins is a British comic book artist known for his inking work and full art duties on comic books such as Ed Brubaker's run on Captain America, Ruse, Stephen King's The Stand and The Swamp Thing.

The character the Swamp Thing has appeared in seven American comic book series to date, including several specials, and has crossed over into other DC Comics titles. The series found immense popularity upon its 1970s debut and during the mid-late 1980s under Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. These eras were met with high critical praise and numerous awards. However, over the years, the Swamp Thing comics have suffered from low sales, which have resulted in numerous series cancellations and revivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Edwards (painter)</span> English painter

Edward Edwards was an English painter and etcher. He held the post of Professor of Perspective at the Royal Academy, and compiled a book entitled Anecdotes of Painters (1808).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellis Owen Ellis</span> Welsh portrait painter, cartoonist and illustrator

Ellis Owen Ellis (1813-1861) also known as Ellis Bryn-coch, was a Welsh portrait painter, cartoonist and illustrator. His subject-matter was wholly Welsh and encompassed satires and cartoons printed in Welsh language periodicals as well as book illustrations.

References

  1. 1 2 National Portrait Gallery
  2. "Phil Hale's Fragmented Reflections" . Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  3. 1 2 3 "Phil Hale | Widewalls". www.widewalls.ch. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  4. "Portrait of Blair as PM unveiled". BBC News Online. 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
  5. Brown, Mark (2008-04-23). "New portrait of 'knackered' Blair to hang at Westminster". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  6. "Phil Hale Life Wants to Live". Jonathan Levine Projects. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  7. "Life Wants to Live | Donald M. Grant Publisher, Inc". secure.grantbooks.com. Retrieved 2021-12-10.