{"id":1583951,"date":"2022-12-23T10:15:49","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T10:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/23\/tomcroftinterview\/"},"modified":"2022-12-23T10:15:49","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T10:15:49","slug":"tomcroftinterview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2022\/12\/23\/tomcroftinterview\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask an Artist: Interview with Tom Croft"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Season 4, Episode 5: Interview with Tom Croft<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In this special interview episode, Peter and Tom talk to Tom Croft; Portrait painter and founder of the Portraits for NHS Heroes initiative, started in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>In the first half of the episode, the trio discuss Tom&#8217;s route into the art world and his practice as a portrait artist. After the advert, they talk about where the idea for Portraits for NHS Heroes came from, how it grew and what an important and beautiful, yet humbling and poignant project it became.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Some of Tom\u2019s recent portraits are shown below. <\/p>\n<p>For more information, take a look at the following:<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thomascroft.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.thomascroft.co.uk<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/project\/healthcare-heroes\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/artsandculture.google.com\/project\/healthcare-heroes<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/uk\/portraits-for-nhs-heroes-9781448218004\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/uk\/portraits-for-nhs-heroes-9781448218004\/<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This week\u2019s takeaway \u2026 this collection of portraits reflect a really important moment within our recent history as well as showcasing the power of portraiture in today\u2019s world; how relevant portraits are, how effective and affecting they can be. Wouldn\u2019t it be wonderful if there was way to gather as many of these together as possible, for an in-person exhibition? So that we can once again let the NHS workers hear our thanks; let them know that the art world saw them,  acknowledged them and appreciated them in the most difficult of times.  If you have a suggestion that may help such an exhibition come to fruition, do get in touch\u2026<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-1583951 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Boaz.webp'><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"238\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Boaz-300x238.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Boaz.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Boaz-300x238.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Boaz-1024x814.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Boaz-768x610.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Boaz.webp 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-reduced.webp'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"239\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-reduced-239x300.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Nick Frost reduced.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-reduced-239x300.webp 239w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-reduced-815x1024.webp 815w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-reduced-768x965.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-reduced-1223x1536.webp 1223w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-reduced.webp 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 239px) 100vw, 239px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-serious.webp'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"212\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-serious-212x300.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Nick Frost serious.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-serious-212x300.webp 212w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-serious-722x1024.webp 722w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-serious-768x1089.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-serious-1083x1536.webp 1083w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Nick-Frost-serious.webp 1410w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Peter-Leane.webp'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"242\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Peter-Leane-300x242.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Peter Leane.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Peter-Leane-300x242.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Peter-Leane-1024x825.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Peter-Leane-768x619.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Peter-Leane.webp 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sleepy-Selfie.webp'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"270\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sleepy-Selfie-270x300.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Sleepy Selfie.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sleepy-Selfie-270x300.webp 270w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sleepy-Selfie-922x1024.webp 922w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sleepy-Selfie-768x853.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sleepy-Selfie-1383x1536.webp 1383w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Sleepy-Selfie.webp 1403w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 270px) 100vw, 270px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tinie-Tempah.webp'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"241\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tinie-Tempah-241x300.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Tinie Tempah.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tinie-Tempah-241x300.webp 241w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tinie-Tempah-821x1024.webp 821w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tinie-Tempah-768x958.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tinie-Tempah-1231x1536.webp 1231w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tinie-Tempah.webp 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 241px) 100vw, 241px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tweedy.webp'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"237\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tweedy-237x300.webp\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Tweedy.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tweedy-237x300.webp 237w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tweedy-809x1024.webp 809w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tweedy-768x973.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Tweedy.webp 1119w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 237px) 100vw, 237px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>This Podcast is sponsored by Rosemary &amp; Co Brushes. For more information about the full range of Artist\u2019s brushes and to order a free catalogue, please visit https:\/\/www.rosemaryandco.com<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rosemaryandco.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"570\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1583941\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Screenshot-2022-11-24-at-22.21.15-1.webp\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Screenshot-2022-11-24-at-22.21.15-1.webp 1500w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Screenshot-2022-11-24-at-22.21.15-1-300x114.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Screenshot-2022-11-24-at-22.21.15-1-1024x389.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Screenshot-2022-11-24-at-22.21.15-1-768x292.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tom and Peter chat to Tom Croft, portrait artist and initiator of the Portraits for NHS Heroes project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":1583943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","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":[15330],"tags":[15487,46,8195,1524,15486,15341,126,15466,15485,15390],"class_list":["post-1583951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview","tag-art-project","tag-charity","tag-covid-19","tag-interview","tag-nhs-heroes","tag-peter-keegan","tag-portraits","tag-post-covid","tag-tom-croft","tag-tom-shepherd"],"acf":{"podcast_episode":"Season 4, Episode 5 \u00b7 49 min","podcast_player":"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/679895\/episodes\/11920630?client_source=small_player&iframe=true","podcast_credit":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - 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