Saturday, November 28, 2015

The Joy of Painting People

I've been painting portraits since my last post and will be for a while longer as we near Christmas. Since some of them will be gifts I don't want to post them and spoil the fun!

I forgot how much I enjoy portraits. I feel like I get to know the subject while I'm painting and if I already know or have known the subject, it feels like a personal visit with them. It reminds me of all the love I have for them, their sense of humor and kindness. It's an intimate experience even with animal portraits.

Here's a portrait I painted a decade ago and gave to my eldest sister, Mae for Christmas. She'd given me her piano and so many other things that I just wanted to thank her in a special way. And I loved the subject! This is Sherpa who accompanied Mae's group on a trek in Nepal. She'd bummed a cigarette from Mae while they rested along their journey and let Mae snap the photo.

Nepalese Sherpa, 16 x 20, Oil on canvas, NFS