Holding Her Own

"Holding Her Own" This girl is modeled after a photo in a book of National Geographic portraits. (I'd love to be able to credit the photographer here but I don't know who it was or what the book was called! So, whoever you are: thank you!) There was such a sense of strength, defiance and fear mixed with the vulnerability of a little girl and I was really drawn to her. She looked about ten years old, but with the worldliness of a much older woman. I painted her on untreated wood and thinned my paints to really allow the grain to come through. As I was painting her my mind kept wandering to woodcut printing so I tried to capture that in the fabric of her clothes and headscarf.

Doris

"Doris" Not named or modeled after anyone in particular. I really just wanted to paint the wartime hair-do, but it's too weird to paint hair without it being attached to someone's head! When I was painting this I meant for her to look more coy; but most people comment on her looking jealously at some unseen person or thing. I guess having a green background doesn't do much to dispel that perception.

Theda

"Theda" I love the 1920s style bobbed hair, the whole "roaring 20s" look really. Theda Bara was a huge movie (ahem... motion picture) star during that time and, in my mind, embodies the exotic, over-the-top glamour of the day. This was loosely based on a head shot of hers I had clipped out because her hair was so bloody perfect.

Maybe Someday

"Maybe Someday" I usually paint darker, atmospheric, and higher contrast images. But the photo this was based on had so much happiness and, dare I say, bliss that I decided to really let that come through. I achieved a somewhat ethereal look by using pearlized and iridescent paints. The title is a bit of a personal dig. As in, "maybe someday" I'll feel the sort of joy she's feeling.

That Looks Good...

"That Looks Good..." I imagine her looking at someone across the room, working up the nerve to go say hello but feeling incredibly nervous and self-conscious. Maybe if she put some clothes on, she'd have more confidence... Too bad she was painted by someone who really likes painting nudes!

Venerasti

"Venerasti" A complete bastardization of the Italian word meaning "to worship". This is painted on a panel plastered with the stock pages. I won't get into politics here (I don't get into them to much anywhere, for that matter), so I'll just say I was feeling disappointed about the importance our society places on economy while ignoring so many things that make life truly rich. This was featured in the "Myth & Legend" show at North Bank Gallery in Vancouver, WA in March 2010.

Looking Through

"Looking Through" Another self-portrait from a bathroom mirror sketching session! This was painted in reverse on glass and as such was rather hard to photograph. There's tons of depth that you really can only see in person! Rather than putting down your base color and building the painting up from there, you start with your finish details (outlining and highlights in this case) and work your way backward. Painting in this style is a fun break from tradition and really works the brain muscles!