Angus MacSween
Andrew Matthews
Angus MacSween [detail] 2026
Portrait of Angus MacSween
Oil on linen canvas panel
110 x 73 cm
About the Artwork
Sixteen-year-old Angus MacSween is my grandson. He is wise beyond his years, with an insatiable curiosity and a fascination for quantum physics. Angus has a certain confidence combined with teenage vulnerability and sensitivity. On Christmas Day, I noticed him sitting on our kitchen bench-top; I was struck by his pose and by the side lighting. We reproduced the pose in my studio. The side lighting gives a casual feel to the portrait. I maintained soft edges throughout the painting to convey sensitivity.
About the Artist
Australian-born Andrew Matthews studied classical drawing and painting at the Art Students League of New York. During the 1980s, Andrew painted portraits and taught drawing and painting at his own private art school in South Australia. He has written and illustrated 12 books, including Being Happy! and Follow Your Heart, which have sold over 8 million copies in 49 languages. He now lives in Trinity Beach, Far North Queensland, where he works in oil, charcoal, and watercolour.