Kate Middleton’s Artist Defends Criticized Portrait By Glen LevyFeb. 01, 2013 (TIME)

He’s back. Kate Middleton’s official portrait artist, Paul Emsley, has spoken up for his panned painting — and he has no regrets.

“I wanted to do something that would convey her true self, her natural self as she, herself, wanted,” the 65-year-old Emsley told the Washington Post. ”Something that conveys something of her sense of warmth.”

As for the negative feedback he’s received over the past few weeks, Emsley conceded that “critics have a job to do”

“I understand that. It’s not just to criticize. They’re trying to interpret art for the public. That’s fine. I understand why they do it, but I’m not particularly interested. I honestly wouldn’t really take their opinions too seriously.”

Emsley explained to the Post that he has sought solace in the experiences of another artist, Pietro Annigoni, whose portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in 1969 was widely slammed upon its unveiling. But Annigoni’s work has since been reappraised by critics and even won a spot in a recent National Portrait Gallery retrospective.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/02/01/kate-middletons-artist-defends-criticized-portrait/#ixzz2JmSowIXX

James Dempsey : Why we should give Daniel Day Lewis some peace (INDEPENDENT)

By James Dempsey
Saturday January 26 2013

This weekend marks the Irish release of Lincoln, director Steven Spielberg's biopic of the American president's efforts to outlaw slavery and end the civil war in the final few months of his life.

A project eight years in the making, recounting the shady dealings often required to turn ideological moralities into political realities, Lincoln is a chamber piece of subtle speeches and exquisite performances. And in the same week as Barack Obama's second inauguration, Lincoln's political toing and froing feels distinctly fresh and timely.

To the forefront of the film, of course, is Daniel Day Lewis' work as Honest Abe, in what is perhaps the quietest and most restrained performance of the esoteric actor's career. It should come as no surprise that the most-celebrated actor of his generation playing the most-celebrated American president of all time has already resulted in mass award celebrations.

Day Lewis, famous for living for months on end in character, originally turned down the role, concerned that he couldn't do justice to this idol of American politics. But after tireless campaigning by the director, Day Lewis signed on. Perhaps it was written in the stars – who better to play the man whose face graces the penny and five dollar-bill than the man whose face has appeared on an An Post stamp?

Of course, awards' season presents its own nationalistic difficulties with regard to Day Lewis. The son of an Irish-born Poet Laureate to Queen Elizabeth II, raised and educated in England's green and pleasant land, Day Lewis made his way across the Irish Sea in 1989, taking up dual citizenship in 1993.

As such, we Irish have taken him to our hearts, and at times have become rather militant about it. When The Daily Mail listed the actor among the "Britons" to have found triumph at the Golden Globes earlier this month, the furore was felt across social media.

READ MORE:http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/film-cinema/james-dempsey-why-we-should-give-daniel-day-lewis-some-peace-3367576.html

Dame Helen Mirren To Reveal Secrets Of Queen’s Appointments With Prime Ministers In New Play (ROYAL CENTRAL)

It’s now been almost 7 years since the controversial film The Queen his our screens and now, Dame Helen Mirren and more well-known faces are to take to the stage to perform The Queen’s meetings with her Prime Ministers in front of thousands in a paying audience.

The original film depicts the Monarchy’s struggle to understand what the people want and how various Prime Ministers have helped and been helped by the Monarch over her 60 year reign.

This new on stage play was announced a few months ago and now it has emerged that Helen Mirren is to meetings between Her Majesty The Queen and her Prime Ministers

The much anticipated play will reveal which Prime Ministers The Queen was closest to, the political audiences she dreaded and how Sir John Major played an unlikely role as marriage counsellor to the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales.

READ MORE:http://www.royalcentral.co.uk/news/dame-helen-mirren-to-reveal-secrets-of-queens-appointments-with-prime-ministers-in-new-play-2266#.UPwbiIc1k8c