New portrait of the Warden to be unveiled, painted by valued staff member
New College is thrilled to announce the unveiling of a new portrait of the Warden, Miles Young, set to be displayed in the medieval dining hall. This special artwork is the creation of none other than Daniel Powell, the college's Head of Outreach and Communications. The unveiling of this remarkable piece represents a unique fusion of the college's artistic history and its current community, as this will be the first portrait painted by one of our very own staff members.
The Warden has long been a champion of the outreach work that New College does, and Powell himself expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to the College's rich history in such a personal way:
New College is filled with portraits and for one of my works to be hanging in the Hall, it's quite overwhelming and one of my proudest achievements. I’ll try to take inspiration from some of the existing works in there, but leave my own stamp on it as well.
Powell's Journey to Art
Daniel Powell has long had a passion for art, despite being advised against pursuing it in school.
I’ve always loved art," said Powell. "I grew up learning from programs like Art Attack, Hartbeat, and Watercolour Challenge—you name it—I was fascinated by it all." However, his teachers didn’t share his enthusiasm, advising him to steer clear of art as a career. “I’m still not sure why they said that,” Powell reflected.
Despite this, Powell's interest never wavered. During the lockdown, he found a new way to rekindle his passion for creativity.
I got really into paint-by-numbers during lockdown. It gave me the confidence to try my hand at my own portraits. It was a way for me to experiment and finally start painting in a way I never had before.
A Portrait With a Story
It was in a meeting last year that Powell first shared some of his artwork with the Warden, who seemed quite impressed. "When he asked me to paint a portrait of him, I was taken aback," Powell admitted. "But how could I say no?"
The portrait, which will soon hang proudly in the College Hall, is not just a reflection of Powell's newfound passion for painting, but a symbol of the journey that the Warden himself has travelled:
The portrait is called ‘Miles’ as I wanted to symbolise the journey and distance that the Warden has covered, from his beginnings in rural Cumbria to his home for the last eight years in the beautiful grounds of New College. It also worked well as a title because it's his name.
The artwork is a blend of natural and human elements, inspired by Powell’s background as a geographer. He explained:
As a geographer, I like to incorporate elements of the natural and human world in my work. I like to embrace the textures of the environment that I paint, which helps me when I'm making my marks on the canvas.
This theme comes to life in the portrait, with Powell incorporating elements of the stunning landscape of Cumbria, which holds great significance to the Warden, as well as the beautiful grounds of New College itself.
Shelby Holmes, who works alongside Daniel as Senior Outreach Officer, has had the privilege of watching him flourish both in his professional role and his artistic pursuits. Having herself earned a Graduate Diploma in the history of art, Shelby has been able to encourage and support Daniel throughout his journey:
It's been an absolute joy watching Dan's craft develop over his artistic career so far. You can really see the cocktail of influences that have come together to create his current style: a real Turner-esque use of colour, some wonderful flecks of Cezanne, just really masterful, really powerful storytelling through paint. I can't wait to see the finished result.
The College invites students, faculty, and alumni to join in the celebration of this remarkable new addition to the Hall’s collection.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Florie Harmer
PR & Marketing Coordinator
Email: communications@new.ox.ac.uk