Rui Charnock – Live Portraits on the Solent

In September 2025, during our musical fundraising weekend, artist Rui Charnock painted portraits in real-time.
Late last summer, Rui Charnock created bright, playful, and evocative paintings capturing a wonderful weekend of music. The venue for both events was local Lymington resident Amanda Mann’s idyllic gardens which have a picturesque view over the Solent.

On the first evening, whilst Rui Charnock painted portraits, an audience of 300 people were captivated by the charming, whimsical, and playful music of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Rui Charnock’s abstract and fluid painting style perfectly complimented the unique sound of this orchestra, which blends classical and folk music in a minimalistic and dreamlike style.

The following evening, Rui Charnock’s vivid paintings accompanied a powerful operatic performance by tenor Colin Judson, soprano Elin Pritchard, mezzosoprano Victoria Simmonds, baritone Emyr Wyn-Jones, and pianist Richard Black.

Rui Charnock is a London based artist, raised in Portugal, studied Architecture at the University of Lisbon, and has been working as an architect since 2017. He moved to Lymington in 2022, and then to London, where he founded his own art studio in 2024. He joined the fundraising weekend as an open-air portrait artist at both the fundraising events.

About the event, one attendee said:
“Friday’s event was so, so lovely. I shall always treasure the memory. A truly idyllic afternoon. … What a beautiful location! Thank you so much!!”

This year, on June 20th and 21st, we have two more amazing music events; last year’s tenor Colin Judson and pianist Richard Black will return along with three other singers for an evening of opera and then the RnB band Cosmo Matassa Project will perform on Father’s Day. So, book your tickets to reserve your space now.