As a portrait artist it's important to me to get a faithful, realistic likeness, but I'm not after photorealism. Instead, I work to illuminate something in a face that a photograph might miss. I especially enjoy drawing and painting children because their hopes, vulnerabilities, fears and courage are all so clear in their faces; the process of becoming is dramatically evident in them. However, even in adults, it's sometimes possible to find a hint of expression that makes visible a byplay between their triumphs or disappointments and their hopes for the future. I like the idea that most of the time in addition to being a work of art, a portrait becomes part of a family's story, and that through the painting I am privileged to become part of that story.
Kim Brecklein joined Fine Art America on December 7th, 2012.
