Portadown artist Billy Austin's tribute portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and grieving King Charles III
In tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, Portadown artist Billy Austin has painted a portrait of the monarch as a thank you for her 70 years of service.
Billy, who was a former Advertising Manager with the Portadown Times, has regularly painted portraits of local, national and international dignitaries was well as ordinary folk from the area.
In recent weeks, moved by the sad death of the Queen, Billy painted her portrait as well as a portrait of a grieving King Charles III.
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Billy said: “The Queen was a remarkable and outstanding woman. There will never be her like again.”
He was also moved by the intense grief etched on the face of King Charles as he took on the duties of monarch.
Billy has also painted a lovely photo of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla.
The 83-year-old, who moved out to Tandragee, Co Armagh more than 55 years ago, says he was ‘born with a brush in my hand’.
He recalls painting portraits of local businessmen while working in the Portadown Times when Jim Irwin was editor and he has been doing portraits and landscapes ever since.
And despite his advancing years when many would be relaxing after decades of work, Billy is still very much in demand.
His work is so popular now he has gained many commissions, most recently for renowned musician and composer Phil Coulter and his wife.
Indeed Billy’s work hangs on walls worldwide with many Americans enjoying his landscapes of thatched cottages in Ireland.