Painting Portraits is My Lifelong Passion

Artist Statement Using oil paint to create faithful, meaningful portraits is my lifelong passion. To me, a successful portrait not only conveys an accurate likeness to the subject, but also captures a sense of what kind of person the subject is and what they may be feeling. For this reason, I most enjoy painting myself as a way of reflection and self-expression. My objectives in the chosen works are to exhibit the emotion of the subject, most commonly but not exclusively manifesting in the eyes, while carefully replicating their features as I see them on the canvas. I start out with blocks of color, adding more and more definition and colors as I go, carefully blend them together, and then with tiny brushes I add the meticulous details. I always paint background to foreground and large to small to build up layers. I have always been drawn to the masterful paintings of Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Rubens, Michelangelo, and many more. I frequently visit the many museums and art galleries in the Hampton Roads area for inspiration, as well as browse various art sharing websites. I have discovered that I create my best paintings after spending considerable time looking at the artworks of others. I also prefer to paint from life whenever possible so I can carefully examine my subject. Lastly, I cannot be overwhelmed by time constraints when I paint, so I will devote many hours to a single painting. My last four years as a student at ODU have been instrumental in refining my skills as an artist thanks to many of my professors