Two Pieces Accepted into WHMA Exhibit

I am honored to have two pieces accepted into this year's Whistler House Museum of Art Juried Member Exhibition: my colored pencil portrait Elise, and oil painting Father and Son. The exhibit runs from November 13th through December 21st with a reception on November 16th. For more information, see my Events page or the Whistler House Museum of Art website.

Oil Portrait ...

I'm putting the finishing touches on an oil portrait, shown above. This was a joy to work on - I loved the pose and expression. I hope to varnish in the next week and then get a high resolution scan.

Next I have a portrait commission in pastel, and then I want to do something in colored pencil. Working  in various media keeps me on my toes!

Art Kudos

My colored pencil portrait, Elise, is a finalist in the 2013 ArtKudos International Juried Art Competition and Exhibition. For all award winners and finalists, see http://artkudos.com/, and to see my piece, go to http://artkudos.com/2013/page5.html.

New Portrait Commission

I recently completed the portrait shown framed above, which was given as a Father's Day present. A scan of the portrait can be seen on my website, but I wanted to post a photo of the framed piece to show how a harmonious frame can enhance a portrait.

OPA Juried Salon Show

I am excited to announce that my painting Father and Son has been accepted into the Oil Painters of America 2013 Juried Salon Show. The exhibition will take place in Petoskey, MI, from June 21 through August 31. For more information, see http://www.oilpaintersofamerica.com/.

FA Fine Art 28th Portrait Show

My portrait, Ethan will be on display at the upcoming Francesca Anderson Fine Art | Portraits North 28th Portrait Show. See below or fafineart.com for details.

What is a Portrait Painting?

Many people ask whether I work from photographs or from live sittings. The truth is that I would love to work from live sittings, but real life makes working from photos more feasible in most cases. However, I do not merely "copy" these photos. The point of a portrait is to capture the essence of the subject, which is always my goal in each painting. A photograph, on the other hand, is a snapshot in time, and can be very limiting in terms of illustrating one's true self.

When I take reference photos, I try and get to know the subject (if I do not already), and take hundreds so that I have plenty of material from which to paint the final portrait. The portrait is usually based on one or two photos only, but having many gives me more insight into one's personality. Here are couple of portraits and their reference photos that demonstrate how I've gone beyond the photo.