Portraiture is Back

Like artists through history I am pursuing the challenge of portraiture. The representation of the human form has always provided a rich means of expression. Prehistoric man did it, Leonardo da-Vinci did it. Rembrandt did it. Picasso did it. Now, I am attempting to do it also, while traveling the world.

Complex issues of identity are frequent topics of contemporary artists. Portraiture is one of the methods used to explore these issues. Simultaneously, figurative art also becomes a subject of artistic exploration through the interpretation of the human form. Today’s art world has focused again on the possibilities of portraiture.

Everybody has something to say, and I try to present that message with every portrait I paint. When life begins, we are blank slates. Time writes a story with experience, the story becomes our biography, and our biography defines who we are. At the core, we are the space where those experiences take shape. Each portrait is a vain attempt to show what can’t be seen. Our minds are the empty pages that are constantly being imprinted. I bring into the light each chapter using color, composition, light and form. I must be aware of that which is timeless, the observer that is always watching and never dies, a space in which all messages unfold by themselves. As Japanese scholar Sato Issai has written:

A tiny bit of resemblance, I can say it's me;
A tiny bit of non-resemblance, I can say it's not me.
Likeness and unlikeness is in the facial expression;
What is beyond likeness and unlikeness is the spirit.
So what does not resemble me is very much like me.
As to which is like me, who can say that it is not really me.

There are many ways of looking at the process of creation. At the conscious level, you are a human being, sitting and observing the artist while the portrait is in process. At the cellular level, you are hundreds of biochemical reactions occurring simultaneously. At the subatomic level, you are mostly empty space, inhabited by a small collection of particles/waves. All of these views are valid and "real," yet none of them is the one true reality. Become aware of your perception, and reality changes.

How do we know when an image depicts a specific person? Likeness is the resemblance of a portrait to its subject, the interpretation of which differs across culture and over time. Likeness is so powerful that portraits often give the impression of a direct encounter between artist and subject. Likeness goes beyond physical appearance. Much of the meaning in portraits is communicated indirectly through posture, gesture, setting, and costume.

There was a time, just before the creation of authentic portraits, when people were discovering all of the laws of nature and reality. People still saw a creator, a source of all. This viewpoint saw no paradox between science and religion. As I consider the emergence of quantum physics, and the new perspective towards life sciences, I see we are moving in that direction again. The universe is a mystical place to live in. It is continuously unfolding.

Stars are to the galaxy as cells are to the body and strokes are to the portrait. The subject’s physical form is not the priority. The important part is what you don’t see: the flow of energy--the life force driving the being behind the scenes. The cells, the strokes, are mutating constantly.

Most portrait painters strive to capture the physical likeness of their subjects. I seek to capture the essence of my subjects as well. While the physical appearance is important, my work attempts to present humankind’s potential for transcendence. I search for the moment in time where transformation occurs. This epiphany illustrates the change in consciousness that comes with insight.

The inspiration of my creative process is introspection and meditation. As I meditate and paint, I discover the qualities that wait to be expressed in the portrait, and I trust what comes through. I enjoy engaging in the process of painting the portrait, because the energy emanates from the canvas. Sketching someone’s image allows me to relate to and care for that person.

When I paint, I imagine myself rooted into the ground, taking light from nature into my heart. This connects me with myself before beginning the painting and anytime that I feel disconnected. As I sketch, I also visualize myself taking energy from the sky, like a flower in bright light and fresh air.

Breathing is one of the most important exercises I do before any creative act. When I am aware of my breathing, all opposites become united. Somewhere, all paradoxes are resolved. I bring the viewer with me beyond words, beyond thought, to the place where all is one. When we get there, we will find ourselves back where we started – at an empty canvas. An ancient sage commented: “Perfect comes from perfect. Take perfect from perfect, the remainder is perfect.”

My paintings are the result of direct observation. I carefully layer colors to develop the form, working into the surface of the painting by blending. After creating the illusion that the image has been sculpted out of pigment, it can then be projected assertively into the viewer’s space.

Realness is different than the image itself. I try to capture the real person behind the portrait. For me a portrait can “record” the subject’s personality, complexity, and psyche. In my view, portraiture is successful when the subject and artist are collaborative and interested in each other.
In art, as in life, directing one’s observation towards self is critical. When working in the realm of figurative painting, a self-portrait often serves as a signpost to clarify where life is taking you.

It takes a long time for a man to look like his portrait. James Whistler

The fact that my portraits end up looking like the model is only a by-product of the process. I engage individuals, and try to build a body of work around them. Together, we find a way to express uniqueness.

Click Here for More Information