Roy Whiddon

Portraying the beauty, grace, strength, and vulnerability of the human form

Roy Whiddon is an award-winning Ottawa artist specializing in fine art figure photography.

Many years ago, Roy had a high-tech job that required travel across Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia. He purchased a 35 mm camera to record the scenery and soon became an avid amateur photographer, taking courses at a local college and setting up a home darkroom. Later, Roy also took up drawing and painting to balance a technical career. One of his favourite artistic endeavours has always been life drawing, and he currently runs a life drawing group for artists at the Nepean Visual Arts Centre.

In 2008, Roy decided to try photographing the nude figure as well as drawing it. The feedback he received from exhibiting those initial photographs encouraged him to make this his primary focus in the visual arts. In his photography, Roy strives to portray the beauty, grace, strength, and vulnerability of the human form. Some of Roy’s art is created in the studio; at other times he places the figure in settings ranging from nature to funky shops to abandoned factories, integrating the human body with a contrasting environment. Roy finds that figure photography offers a unique mix of artistic, technical, and interpersonal challenges that spark his creativity.

Roy’s work has been shown both in Canada and internationally in 12 solo and more than 50 juried or curated exhibitions.

Website: www.roywhiddon.com
Instagram: @roywhiddon