Every person has their own essence and every moment yeilds a different boon. Portraits are my playground and I hope I never follow any rules for them. On portrait commissions, I always warn that I am not a portrait artist, just an artist that loves portraits. From sketches to fancies, I always know when portraits are done when I am looking back at myself.
They say to paint all of your subjects the same way. No. What arrogance would sit you at an infinte feast and only allow you to eat grapes? As a humurous fuck you, over the course of my life, I will paint one subject 100 different ways. That fuck you is Lincoln.
The Brownbacks were a time-based commission for Artist's Proof Gallery and my first sold out show, being entirely purchased by the City of Atlanta. They are on display in Atlanta City Hall, consisting of eight 4x4 ft., fast and gritty takes on some of my favorite American Icons. The title of the show was "True American Grit". View series in database
The striking chords of color against a tone of soft flesh. Flats and organic rounds. The overlapping of differing tecniques in harmony. I love it all, but what I love the most is the idea of making the background the forground. The eyes in a portrait are like a magnet, drawing the viewer directly to it. If only to mess with you, I want you to see the background first, to create a war with the mind's format.
Frida Kahlo. She's so beautiful. Much like the Lincoln Series, before it's all said and done, I will have done many Fridas. I like to dress her up, and she likes to be dressed up. We are good friends, and she goats me for stalling on dressing her up as Hitler. She has a foul mouth and calls me pussy. I love Frida Kahlo.
I come from a cheffing background. I have 100 herbs and spices at my disposal and I use them all. No good chef only uses the same ingredients over and over. I experiment with everything available to me, to match the right flavor to the right person in the right way in the present moment. Sometimes I fail. Sometimes I don't.
I made five, which is a typical opening run for a series. The palette knife is the quickest and most affordable way to do large scale portraits. The Jefferson came out perfect. The Self, I did a second round on a few years later. The other two sold and one was cut up for another series. Just the way nature intended.
Pets. 'N Stuff.
