Star Portraits - Mike Holmes

This is old, old, OLD news for sure, but worthy of discussion nevertheless. In 2010, Mike Holmes was a guest "sitter" on the Canadian TV show Star Portraits, in which celebrities sit for artists to have their portraits painted by three very different, but equally talented artists. Standard protocol for the show, Mike got to keep his favorite portrait, and the other two portraits were auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the charity of his choice. Mike, of course, chose the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada, as Mike's oldest daughter Amanda was diagnosed with Crohn's disease as a teenager. The portrait Mike decided to keep was painted by artist Celeste Keller. The auction took place in December 2010, and between Mike and the 12 other celebrities featured in season 2 of the show, $13,000 was raised for various causes.

According to the Star Portraits Flickr account, Mike posed for the artists poolside in his own backyard:

Mike Holmes' castle is his backyard and this is where he chooses to share a part of his private life as he poses poolside for three portrait artists. Will artists Wayne Terry, Albert Slark and Celeste Keller capture what's behind the tough guy exterior of Canada's favourite contractor?

Here are the three portraits painted by the talented artists:

Portrait by Albert Slark

Portrait by Celeste Keller

Portrait by Wayne Terry

The first portrait by Albert Slark is super realistic, right down to Mike's obscenely blond eyebrows.

This was the portrait rated the highest by viewers on the Star Portrait website. When asked if he was

surprised to see Mike Holmes as the celebrity sitter, he answered "Oh yeah! A pleasant surprise and

a challenge to paint. It was an enjoyable process!"

 

The second portrait by Celeste Keller is slightly more abstract than the first portrait. The portrait

features Mike and his long time girlfriend Anna Zappia, as well as his chocolate lab, Charlie. When

asked about how she felt about Mike being the celebrity sitter, she responded a lot like I would have:

"I think 'surprised' is a bit of an understatement. I was floored! I LOVE Mike Holmes! I spent so

much time before hand trying to figure out who it was going to be. I had no idea it would be Mike

Holmes. Even when Louise said his name and he made his way over to us, it didn’t register. I was

in a state of shock. Did I mention how much I LOVE him?" This portrait turned out to be Mike's

favorite.

 

The third portrait by Wayne Terry happens to be my personal favorite. It's a close up portrait of Mike's

face, and if you look past the foreground, you see the sky and clouds and eagles. To me it's a really

beautiful and creative representation. Plus I think he did a great job at capturing Mike's pretty albeit

hooded eyes. When asked if he was surprised to have Mike as the celebrity sitter, he responded, "  I

was pleasantly surprised having Mike Holmes as a sitter. Renovating, building, cars, boats, cottages is

something I’ve done forever. Having watched many of Mike’s shows, painting his portrait was more

like painting someone you know, a friend, not some celebrity who is far removed from my life style."

Other photos related to Mike's appearance on Star Portraits:

The Edmonton Journal wrote a nice little piece about Mike's appearance on the show:

Star Portraits

captures Holmes
Alex Strachan, Postmedia News Published: Saturday, November 06 2010 Mike Holmes, the world-renowned handyman, home-reno expert and defender of homeowners' rights, is a study in motion. Energetic, excitable and burning with passion, it's hard to imagine him sitting still for a minute, let alone an hour. Sit still he must, though, in tonight's engaging episode of Star Portraits.
Star Portraits has become appointment viewing for people looking for a biography program that's out of the ordinary. And there's nothing ordinary about Holmes. He's a human blur, used to living life large. Holmes is a fascinating subject for Star Portraits, because the program is all about how portrait artists capture their subject's inner essence. Holmes wears his emotions on his sleeve. What will the portrait artists find underneath? This week's illustrators are Chatham Ont.'s Wayne Terry, a successful and experienced artist whose oil portraits lean toward aboriginal myth and symbolism; Toronto-based Celeste Keller, a figurative illustrator who describes herself as "an artist in search of urban moments;" and Calgary's Albert Slark, an award-winning portrait artist who specializes in book covers and is one of several Canadians commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to design and paint commemorative stamps. The results, as usual, are fascinating. As reality TV goes, Star Portraits is one of the most surprising, joyous and unpredictable programs on TV today. (Bravo -- 6 p.m.)

And yet another article by the Times Colonist:

Portrait of Mike Holmes better be up to code | Alex Strachan, Postmedia News
Published: Saturday, November 06, 2010
Mike Holmes, the world-renowned handyman, home-reno expert and defender of homeowners' rights, is a study in motion. Energetic, excitable and burning with passion, it's hard to imagine him sitting still for a minute, let alone an hour.
Sit still he must, though, in tonight's engaging episode of Star Portraits.
Star Portraits, Bravo's program in which three Canadian portrait artists paint a homegrown celebrity, has become appointment viewing for people looking for a biography program that's out of the ordinary. And there's nothing ordinary about Holmes. He's a human blur, used to living life large -- outspoken, vocal and not one to easily hide his feelings.
So, when Holmes agrees to sit in his own backyard for his portrait, it's easy to forgive Star Portraits host Louise Pitre's quip when she says the yard looks like something straight out of "Holmes and Garden magazine."
Holmes is a fascinating subject for Star Portraits, because the program is all about how portrait artists capture their subject's inner essence. Holmes wears his emotions on his sleeve. What will the portrait artists find underneath?
This week's illustrators are Chatham Ont.'s Wayne Terry, a successful and experienced artist whose oil portraits lean toward aboriginal myth and symbolism; Toronto-based Celeste Keller, a figurative illustrator who describes herself as "an artist in search of urban moments"; and Calgary's Albert Slark, an award-winning portrait artist who specializes in book covers and is one of several Canadians commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service to design and paint commemorative stamps, including Spencer Tracy and Bette Davis.
"I'm going to need half an hour just to calm down," Keller tells Holmes, when she learns who her subject will be.
Holmes, too.
"Let's play," he tells the painters enthusiastically, then explains how his garden is his own private escape, the secret place he goes to decompress and find time for himself. He doesn't sit, so much as lean against his portrait stool, chattering happily away as the portrait artists try to capture his inner self.
Holmes's [sic] work ethic was instilled in him as a young child by his father, he tells the artists. From an early age, he realized his calling was helping others through his building skills. He has since become a tireless advocate for homeowners and a thorn in the side of shady contractors everywhere, whether it's sloppy builders in his hometown or fly-by-night operators in New Orleans or Tornado Alley.
"It doesn't matter; that's what I think I'm supposed to do," Holmes says. "I'm supposed to be the one that helps when other people are in trouble."
The results, as usual, are fascinating. And telling. As reality TV goes, Star Portraits is one of the most surprising, joyous and unpredictable programs on TV today. Anyone interested in art and the process of capturing personality through charcoal and oils will find real value here.
"A painting takes on a life of its own," Slark explains, midway through tonight's program. "Sometimes, it's a happy accident."