Face Forward project: A time for reflection

William said:“Sitting for my portrait was a reflective time, wondering where the last 40 years have gone and what my forefathers and I had done to be in the position to be asked to have the portrait commissioned.

“I also wondered how often the Queen had had her portrait done!”

“I was actually surprised how, for someone who never sits still, how I was able to do so for so long. To sit and chat with Helen, who I had never met before, also reminded me that it had been a long time since I had spent such a long time with someone I had never met before.

“I must do it more often!”

Helen said: “One of the great things about painting portraits is that I get to meet people, and collect up a sense of what they are like. A portrait almost always ends up reflecting a personality because, when I meet a model, I just can’t help but be affected by the way they sit, the rooms they inhabit, and my impression of them.

“For me, this is one of the greatest arguments for creating portraits from life - you have such an amazing capacity to connect and reflect.

“My first impressions of William were that he was smart - picking me up from Ilkley station in a crisp blue suit. He was also hospitable - driving me to his home and making me a cup of tea; and organised - with an extremely tidy house and work schedule, as well as being very driven.

“I find it strangely wonderful that these factors appeared visually in the drawing I created over my two days working with William.

“My drawing of him strips the scene back to essentials. This is an image of William sat on a wooden chair in his front room.

It is uncluttered and the beginning of a crisp, smart portrait. The light and shadow is organised and clear, because he is sat by a source of light.

“William’s expression is one of interest, with an element of the concentration he devotes to his life and business. It will be great to see it develop.”

To catch up on all the portraits so far, click here

To visit Helen's website, click here

Lasting relationships

When you’re in business for more than a century you develop lasting relationships with other companies which are mutually beneficial.

Whitakers is no exception. It has been working with high-end supermarket Waitrose for more than four decades and provides their own-brand chocolate.

So successful is the partnership that the unbroken business relationship is one of the longest held agreements across the sector.

Managing director William Whitaker saiys: “Waitrose has been a customer of ours since the mid 70s. I believe the mint wafer product sold in Waitrose is the longest standing own-label chocolate product sold in a supermarket. It has been unchanged since the early 70s, which is quite something.

“Whitakers chocolate is a consistent product.”

Those kinds of relationships aren’t limited to just supplying other firms.

Whitakers has been working with Armstrong Watson and its predecessors in Skipton for more than 70 years.

Armstrong Watson merged with Yorkshire firm Robertshaw Myers on New Year’s Day in 2013. The merger meant that, at the time, Armstrong Watson had more than 400 employees across 14 offices and a combined turnover in excess of £20m.

William says: “Our relationship with Armstrong Watson began when they merged with Robertshaw Myers, who were based in Keighley in the early 1900s. They moved to Skipton as we had done and we’d had that relationship unbroken for perhaps 70 years, so we’d seen their changes as well.”

To visit in-Cumbria's family business section sponsored by Armstrong Watson, click here

<center><b>Click on the pictures below to see the completed portraits:</b></center>