Charles Willmott

As subject matter I would probably have to confess to a near obsession with dance, particularly the ballet. In classical roles I've enjoyed the privilege of working with many greats, like Darcey Bussell, Miyako Yoshida, Monica Zamora, Kevin O'Hare, Catherine Batcheller and Joe Cipolla. I have experienced the energy of contemporary dance whilst working with the Rambert Dance Company, particularly with choreographers Christopher Bruce and Wayne McGregor...of course Wayne is now breathing new life into the ballet at the Royal Opera House in London. Over the years I've made several detours working with the Flamenco dance sensation Joaquin Cortes, classical Indian dancers Sonia Sabri and Chitraleka Bolar and many other forms of dance. My admiration for the beauty and grace of dancers has deepened my interest in distilling the essence of the female form. My aim, to capture the mobility, rhythms, fragility, strength and sensuality of woman. The girls with whom I work hail from all walks of life, some are models but many have ordinary lives and jobs where they have no need to expose themselves to a critical eye. It’s a matter of delicate negotiation as to how much of their bodies or themselves they would like to reveal. I work from my studio, attached to my home in Herefordshire, the rural heart of England, with my wife and our two cats and I continue to be inspired by and dedicated to three main disciplines, dance, female form and portraiture.