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“This project was a really important ritual durin
g the lockdown. Routines have always suited my temperament and in that new lockdown situation yoga in the morning and portrait recreation in the evening anchored my day. We didn’t have to discuss what was going to happen in the evening as we knew that we had a portrait to do. It kept us away from Netflix! It was great to have the three of us to work and play together and pull different skills and perspectives together. The roles were clear; Molly was the artistic leader and curator and we were the co-creators and models. Together we created a team. We often came up with solutions of how to solve a problem for a portrait by wandering around the house looking in cupboards and drawers: ‘What do we have that is yellow that can be a background ? ‘How do we create a black hat with height? ‘What dress can be used as long skirt that it touches the floor? And then next: What room to use, which light do we need and how do we get one person to look taller than he or she really is. We bounced ideas off each other and new solutions were created every day. It was because it was solely for our own amusement and never aimed at a future exhibition, book or other product that it was fun and we sparked off each other, with crazy ideas outcompeting each other. It’s always in that spontaneous moment without any pressure that art is at its best. It’s the flow of creativity. Sometimes the process was quick and instant as some evenings we had to spend a bit more time to find the right solutions. Hair pins and bulldog clips were essential to do a tuck to keep a scarf in a certain place, to make it look like a waistcoat. We discovered talents among ourselves that we did not know we had as a family. It’s also interesting to step into so many different roles, situations and historic periods and to realise how differently you can look at yourself and each other when in costume, especially as a couple who had just turned 60. Sometimes we played younger and other times older, both easily. We found that Brian had a high attention to detail which came in very handy. As we went on we allowed more contemporary pieces to inspire us. It’s hard to select just one photo as my favourite – its the project as a whole and the extensive time which we spent on it which made it special. But if I should select one image – I think it has be day six, The Duke and Duchess of Ubrino, where Brian and I are looking at each other, the oval shaker box is draped with a scarf to become Brian’s hat and my head pieces has a bra on the side to make the side decoration, plus a cloakroom tassel from the Goring Hotel in London! To create the background of a hilly landscape Brian selected some images in a book he had about Kurdistan which sort of matched the background of the original. The result is somehow extraordinary, iconic, memorable, and fun.” Liz Visit Molly’s instagram page @mollyfreja to view the 53 portraits she conceived of, and created, with her parents. It’s always in that spontaneous moment without any pressure that art is at its best. It’s the flow of creativity. 34