Sunday, September 28, 1997 - North Shore News — 11

ork will be

hristmas gift
a0 two princes
'y lan Noble

ews Reporter
mrn@nsnews.comt
HIRISTIAN Cardell
orbet of North
fancouver saw a rare
ipportunity evaporate
hen a car carrying
jana, Princess of
Vales, crashed in an
to accident.
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tist said Thursday after-
bon that Diana had agreed
his Tequest to sit fora
Pprtrait.
f Plans called for Corbet to
mavel to England in
ovember and draw Diana,
ho said she admired
mprbet’s work.
“That’s the arrangement
were just in the midst of
Meishing up when she came
me her untimely death.
B “Having Diana sit for me
s something I was so look-
forward to in a year that
Is been almost devastating
me in regards to my per-
al life and family life. It’s

NEWS photo Bred Ledwidge

Ben very difficult,” said | NORTH Van's Christian Cardeli Corbet has been com-
jo

brbet, wi

is also president missioned to paint a portrait of Diana, Princess of

the Canadian Portrait Wales for her children, Prince Harry and Prince William.

ciety,
“Her passing came ... as a very sudden
bck to Me... because she was a great
Bmanitarian.”
But on Wednesday morning, good news
ve
A: British couple, who are fellows of the
val Society of Art, commissioned Corbet to
w.a portrait of Diana.
The drawing will go to Prince William and
nce Harry as a Christmas gift.
Corbet is thrilled.
“It is such an honor. I’m been exceptional-
bverwhelmed.”
“Considering that
Ana Was going to sit
me in November ...
‘ould have been nice
‘have one of her
hes’ fulfilled and
€ it done regard-

orbet has started
esearch the pictures

trait.

I want it to be a
py picture,” contin-
Corbet. “In her

i letter to me (on
27) she stated one
». something like,

been ever so busy
n my new life. And
hat phrase ‘my new
“it speaks of an
inness and to me that sounds like she was
happy.”
\ he story behind the offer to sketch
a’s portrait goes back a few years.
Corbet understands it, Diana was walk-
through Clarence House, the home of the
ween Mother, when she spotted a work by
mbct. The picture, showing the Queen
er holding a ribbon, caught Diana’s cyc.
he marked the piece as one of four —
h includes a work by Monet — that she
ed to acquire in her divorce settlement.

Diana didn’t get it.

BI thought that when she was unable to
hire that painting, why not offer or at least
¢ the request that she sit for me so | could

Re a work specifically for her?” said Corbet.

orbet said his family’s ties with the Royal
ily extend back to the 1920s. During sum-
, King George V and Queen Mary visited
pet’s ancestors on Guernsey Island, one of
Channel Islands.

“IT thought that when
she was unable to
acquire that painting,

why not offer or at jaugh.
ill use to create the least make the request Corbet said his work on

that she sit for me so

I could create a work
specifically for her?”
— Christian Cardell Corbet

“My great, great grandfather and all of his
brothers were all industrialists and had con-
nections,” Corbet said.

Since he painted the Queen Mother in
1995, he has created her official Christmas
card and been commissioned to do an official
portrait o1 Prince Philip for the Royal Society
of Art.

If it seems like the 31-year-old artist has
been busy, he has a good reason — he feels as
though his life is going to end “rather quickly
at some given point.”

“Pve always felt that way. I’m trying to get
as much in as possible. 1 don’t
know why. I’m not dying as
far as I know,” he said.

“It becomes a race against
what seems to be a clock that
you can’t see, so I try to do as
much as I possible can in this
lifetime — and it’s never
enough,” he said with a

Royal portraits has opened a
great many doors.

For example, he was elected a
fellow if the Royal Society of
Art in London, the youngest
Canadian ever to receive the
honor.

Thar, he said, has changed his
life immensely and allowed
him to sketch many promi-
nent people.

“People come to me and say wow, you've
painted this person, what can you do for me,”
he said.

But Corbet said his price for a portrait has
not increased. with the fame.

“I have a hard time acquainting putting art
and money together. I hike my work to be
accessible to everyone,” said Corbet, who

moved to North Vancouver from Ontario two
years ago and maintains a studio on Edgewater
Lane.

Meanwhile, Corbet hopes to start work on
Diana’s portrait on Tuesday and hopes to fin-
ish it within a couple of weeks.

He said he would keep the portrait for a
while, show it to family and friends and likely
have a portrait unveiling in Canada before it’s
shipped off to England.

He plans to sell tickets to an unveiling
soiree and donate the proceeds to a couple of
Diana’s favorite charities, including an AIDS
charity.

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