People fascinate me. I especially love painting faces and hands. We can learn a lot about a person by studying their features. I am an observer of people: the rough and calloused hands that show evidence of hard work… the laugh lines around their eyes… the philtrum (that beautiful little slide between the nose and the upper lip).
A portrait captures a moment in time. Old black and white family photos are invitations to imagine days gone by. Nostalgia begs us to romanticize “those were the days my friend.” I especially love those dreamy expressions that reveal both hope and hardship. We all have a story, whether it was 70 years ago… or yesterday.
In addition to painting portraits from old black and white photos, I also paint portraits of the living, both young and old. Using a photograph reference, I re-create the likeness of the person onto canvas, using acrylic paint. After I have worked this process, making sure to capture their likeness, I set down my brushes and pick up my palette knives. This is where the portrait comes to life.