{"id":1403157,"date":"2019-12-23T09:00:13","date_gmt":"2019-12-23T09:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=1403157"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:40:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:40:08","slug":"michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michael Sheldon is a British artist whose portrait Pain or Relief<\/em> was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019.<\/a> His portraits are rendered with striking realism and his shortlisted piece Pain or Relief<\/em> is a marked example of his technical skill and draughtsmanship. We spoke with him to find out more about his process, the materials he uses, and how he develops his work.<\/big><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Pain or Relief<\/em>, 2019
Michael Sheldon
Oil on aluminium panel, 61 x 46 cm
Shortlisted for the Jackson’s Painting Prize 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: Hi Michael, please tell us a little bit about your artistic background\/education.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: I’ve been creative from a young age. I used to spend most evenings sat on the sofa with an art set on my lap. I remember designing different types of space ships, showing them from above, below and side profiles, with labels to which part was which. This carried on through school and I gained an A at GCSE Art. I then went on to study A-level Art, however my confidence was knocked and I decided to drop that A-level.<\/p>\n

I went on to join the Royal Marines which led to a long period of time without doing any art. I went onto a job in Maritime security and started to dabble a bit in my art. My passion came back and I started painting on and off over the last 5 years or so, and more seriously since the beginning of 2018.<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/a>
Edward<\/em>, 2019
Michael Sheldon
Oil on aluminium panel, 80 x 60cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: How would you describe your practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: I would say I am a realist painter, touching on hyperrealism. I usually start my paintings with a simple sketch, I try not to put too much detail in, just the position of facial features, shape of head etc. I then seal it in with clear gesso. <\/p>\n

I almost always do a grisaille which helps with the tonal range, and also just to get some paint down on the surface. Again, I try not to get too much detail. I work in many layers to build up the detail which is quite time-consuming. Most pieces take months to finish. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Work in Progress
Michael Sheldon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: What interests you about painting with such fine detail?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: I’m obsessed with detail and I find it fascinating that the closer you get to a painting, the more you can see. Unlike other artists who prefer the painterly look, I aim for a more realistic approach trying to hide my brush strokes. My goal is to try and render a painting so it is hard to distinguish if it was a real person or painted.<\/p>\n

I work with many photographs focusing on different areas, so unlike a single photograph where you get the bokeh effect, I try to get the whole painting in detail. It would be hard for me to paint from life because of how long I spend on a painting.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Pain or Relief <\/em>, 2019 (Detail)
Michael Sheldon
Oil on aluminium panel, 61 x 46 cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: I\u2019ve noticed that some of your portraits are painted in a chiaroscuro style. What interests you about this technique?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: I love dark and moody portraits, and I refuse to paint anyone smiling – much to my other half\u2019s annoyance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Essence<\/em>, 2018
Michael Sheldon
Oil on aluminium panel, 61 x 46 cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: Your work varies between pastel and oil paint. What typically influences your decision to use either medium?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: I started off with pastel at the beginning of 2018 and I took to it very well. At that time I was focusing on doing pet portraits. I then decided to try oil painting and fell in love with the medium. Almost all my paintings are now painted on Aluminium panels from Jackson’s<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. I love the smooth surface and the fact they come ready treated.<\/p>\n

My decision to use either medium comes down to the time frame. After spending months on a single oil painting, its nice to do a pastel drawing over a couple of weeks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Milo<\/em>, 2018
Michael Sheldon
Pastel on paper, 40 x 30 cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: Since leaving the Royal Marines, it must have been difficult to adapt to a normal civilian routine. Did painting help with this transition?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: Yes very much so, I would go as far as saying it saved me. The time spent painting means less time for my mind to wander. It helps focus my thoughts and gives me a strong sense of achievement at the end.<\/p>\n

I am also a member of The Royal Marines Arts Society<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, which is set up with the view of helping artists to connect within the military and to use the power of creativity to overcome adversity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Blue-Green Scarf<\/em>
Michael Sheldon
Pastel Study, 30 x 40 cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: What are your most important tools? Do you have any favourites?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: I’m very simplistic to my approach with regards to tools. I use a glass palette and I try not to use any medium in the oil paint, maybe a bit of liquin in the bottom layers.<\/p>\n

I tend to favour Michael Harding and Winsor & Newton paints, and I make sure that I\u2019m not using any fugitive pigments. A fellow artist and friend pointed out to me early on that Alizarin Crimson was fugitive and I quickly changed to an Old Holland variant. I paint with Rosemary and Co brushes which are fantastic. The only other tool I use is a Mahl stick.<\/p>\n

Daniel: And what is a good day in the studio for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: A good day for me is when I can see some progress, like the eye starting to come to life. I enjoy painting eyes the most.<\/p>\n

\"Michael<\/a>
Natural Beauty<\/em> (In Progress)
Michael Sheldon
Oil on canvas, 100 x 90 cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: When you\u2019re working – do you listen to music, audiobooks, radio, or do you prefer to work in silence?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: If I listen to the radio then it has to be Radio 6, I can’t stand commercial radio channels like Radio 1. Otherwise, I listen to Spotify. Current playlist is Townes Van Zant, The Doors and Rolling Coastal Blackouts Fever.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Studio View
Michael Sheldon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: What are your artistic influences? Do you have any favourite contemporary artists?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: I have quite a few favourite artists, but the ones which I have seen in the flesh and the ones which made the biggest impact on me are Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait<\/em>, which is in the National Gallery, and Meredith Frampton’s Portrait of a Young Woman<\/em> in the Tate Modern.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Eddie<\/em>
Michael Sheldon
Pencil Study, 11 x 14 in<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Daniel: What is coming up next for you and where can we see more of your art in the flesh or online?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michael: My website is michaelsheldon.co.uk<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and I also share my art on Instagram<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, Facebook<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and Twitter<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

I was in the Ruth Borchard Self Portrait Exhibition this year and my painting was commended by the judges. There were some fantastic artists in the exhibition and I felt privileged to be amongst them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Self Portrait 2<\/em> (In Progress)
Michael Sheldon
Oil on aluminium panel, 51 x 41 cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Featured Image: Self Portrait 2<\/em>, Michael Sheldon, Oil on aluminium panel, 51 x 41 cm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael Sheldon is a British artist whose portrait Pain or Relief was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019. His […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":1403185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[15119,3288,4572,463,647],"class_list":["post-1403157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-artists","tag-jacksons-art-prize","tag-jacksons-painting-prize","tag-michael-sheldon","tag-oil-painting","tag-portrait-painting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMichael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter - Jackson's Art Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Michael Sheldon is an artist whose portrait Pain or Relief was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019. We interviewed him to find out more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Michael Sheldon is an artist whose portrait Pain or Relief was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019. We interviewed him to find out more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u00a0Jackson's Art Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-12-23T09:00:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T14:40:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1271\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Daniel Brady\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Daniel Brady\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Daniel Brady\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8c2d5cabb3d6de0241a579eb92d9b4b7\"},\"headline\":\"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-23T09:00:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:40:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1265,\"commentCount\":3,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Jackson's Art Prize\",\"Jackson's Painting Prize\",\"Michael Sheldon\",\"Oil Painting\",\"Portrait Painting\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Artist Interviews\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/\",\"name\":\"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter - Jackson's Art Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-12-23T09:00:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-31T14:40:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"Michael Sheldon is an artist whose portrait Pain or Relief was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019. We interviewed him to find out more.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg\",\"width\":1600,\"height\":1271},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/2019\\\/12\\\/23\\\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jackson's Art Blog\",\"description\":\"\u00a0Jackson's Art\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Jackson's Art Blog\",\"alternateName\":\"Jackson's Art\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/02\\\/logo.svg\",\"caption\":\"Jackson's Art Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8c2d5cabb3d6de0241a579eb92d9b4b7\",\"name\":\"Daniel Brady\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/author-daniel-brady-300x300.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/author-daniel-brady-300x300.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/author-daniel-brady-300x300.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Daniel Brady\"},\"description\":\"Daniel writes and commissions features, as well as interviewing artists. With a background in photography and painting, he\u2019s interested in how artists make and exhibit their work. Daniel studied at the University of London, specialising in Literature, History and Art.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.jacksonsart.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/daniel-brady\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter - Jackson's Art Blog","description":"Michael Sheldon is an artist whose portrait Pain or Relief was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019. We interviewed him to find out more.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter","og_description":"Michael Sheldon is an artist whose portrait Pain or Relief was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019. We interviewed him to find out more.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/","og_site_name":"\u00a0Jackson's Art Blog","article_published_time":"2019-12-23T09:00:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-31T14:40:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":1271,"url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Daniel Brady","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Daniel Brady","Estimated reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/"},"author":{"name":"Daniel Brady","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8c2d5cabb3d6de0241a579eb92d9b4b7"},"headline":"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter","datePublished":"2019-12-23T09:00:13+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:40:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/"},"wordCount":1265,"commentCount":3,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg","keywords":["Jackson's Art Prize","Jackson's Painting Prize","Michael Sheldon","Oil Painting","Portrait Painting"],"articleSection":["Artist Interviews"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/","name":"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter - Jackson's Art Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg","datePublished":"2019-12-23T09:00:13+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-31T14:40:08+00:00","description":"Michael Sheldon is an artist whose portrait Pain or Relief was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize 2019. We interviewed him to find out more.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/unnamed-7-e1575565008947.jpg","width":1600,"height":1271},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/23\/michael-sheldon-pain-or-relief\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Michael Sheldon: From the Royal Marines to Realist Painter"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/","name":"Jackson's Art Blog","description":"\u00a0Jackson's Art","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Jackson's Art Blog","alternateName":"Jackson's Art","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/logo.svg","caption":"Jackson's Art Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8c2d5cabb3d6de0241a579eb92d9b4b7","name":"Daniel Brady","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/author-daniel-brady-300x300.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/author-daniel-brady-300x300.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/author-daniel-brady-300x300.jpg","caption":"Daniel Brady"},"description":"Daniel writes and commissions features, as well as interviewing artists. With a background in photography and painting, he\u2019s interested in how artists make and exhibit their work. Daniel studied at the University of London, specialising in Literature, History and Art.","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/author\/daniel-brady\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1403157"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1576096,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1403157\/revisions\/1576096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1403185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1403157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1403157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1403157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}