Blog — Portraits

My art teacher consistently reminded me to focus on form and detail, to take my time, and practice, practice, practice. If I did these things I would produce beautiful portraits. In these three works the same model is used. The first is a pencil sketch of the models. This is a rough sketch. (I love these as much as I...

Do you consider white and black to be colors? I did for years until I learned technically they are shades. When I sat down to paint Bernard I drew a quick sketch. I then chose to limit myself to one color, raw umber, and two shades, titanium white and ivory black. I began by painting with brushes laying down the...

This portrait is in my private collection. There's something about this one that strengthens me when I look at it. Her expression stirs a resolve in me to improve my drawing skills and work each day to better see the details of each face. I remember my beloved art teacher years ago standing behind me as I was painting a...

Why commission a portrait? We love our families and pets. Portraits celebrate them! And, it's a lot of fun. They make wonderful gifts. This portrait of Bentley was a commission I received last year. It was a Christmas gift for Bentley's owners in Florida. I work with graphite and charcoal, and I specialize in head and shoulders portraits. It's a...