Progress

Oil on Canvas On a daily basis, human interaction is limitless. Whether I am going to class, buying a coffee, or working in the studio I see and talk to a multitude of people. All of these interactions affect the course of my day and in turn, trigger some level of reflection. These daily encounters include two types of people: those who I do know and those who I do not know. When painting the human subject I take in to account this level of knowledge. I began to paint people that I do not know. Not knowing a person allows room for interpretation and assumption. I paint the subject figuratively, using areas of expressive deformation to exaggerate features that stand out to me during the first impression. The setting also reflects the characteristics of the human form. Where did I meet them? What were they doing there? Reflections such as these allow me to construct an area appropriate to the subject. When I began to paint people I do know, the approach differed. There is now an abundance of mental knowledge that can be applied to the subject’s surface appearance. The history of the person and the characteristics I obtain on a personal level can now be portrayed. Whether an interaction involves a person I do know, or do not know, the level of experience I have with them can represent them both, whether it is a first impression or twenty-one years. [From the artist]https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/studiostu/1018/thumbnail.jp