IDENTIFIERS *Portraits; *Researcher Subject Relationship

Traditional forms of research limit the nature of research inquiry, interpretation, and representation. Educational research that is informed by artistic practice is described in this exploration of visual portraits as images of the subjects of research. The research context was a 10-week adult education course titled "Design: Focus on Creative Process" taught at the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto (Canada). Six visual portraits were created to convey the integrity and diversity of six of the students. Unanticipated connections were revealed as the created image joined forms and experiences. The process of creating the portraits and their representations of the students ' experiences is described in detail for three of the participants. The process benefited the research by: (1) showing the integrity of the artist as researcher; (2) creating coherence between visual portraits and research; (3) displaying the intimacy between researcher and participants; (4) showing the complementary nature of visual portraits and data analysis; and (5) showing the complementary nature of visual portraits and participant profiles. (Contains seven references.) (SLD) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document.