Gaye Lynne comments: The first grandchild of a local professional family. The portrait has been hanging for some years now in their offices and comments keep coming to the gist of "that certainly is our 'Lizzy'!" - even though she's a young lady now. They tell me they love the picture more every day.
Three sisters, each enchanting in their own way, relax on the couch in their parents' living room. Their parents warned me of their irrepressible humor when together, and the first photo shoot was practically unusable, I laughed so hard. Personally, I think the 3 conspired to set up another "play" session.
Young friends and their faithful dog. A large oil painted for a mother who wanted to capture transitional youth of the boys and at the same time hint of family heritage and future strength. The boys are posed in full sun on an oak-studded hill, with the California coast below in the distance.
A congenial young professional woman in Santa Barbara. Kim's career was about to relocate her to Denver when first we met. She wanted to commemorate this time in her life as it was full of changes, optimism, robust health and hope. On a whim, I showed her portrait artist John Singer Sargent's portrait of Madam X, a study of a fascinating and adventurous young woman who completely captivated the artist for her unconventional and forward thinking attitudes. Kim was enchanted.
Of course, the dress was to be red instead of black, the hair blonde instead of reddish dark, and Madam's startling white skin was replaced by Kim's toasty-ivory California blush. The shoot was fanciful fun for both of us and resulted in a number of paintable concepts - but the Madam X stance won out. The painting is on 24"x48" on portrait surface linen. By all reports, Kim's friends say "it's her!" I am pleased about how the olive brown, orange and crimson color scheme worked out. This was fun - inspired by Kim's bright and energetic personality, good looks, and one of my favorite painters, John Singer Sargent.
One of two Headmaster portrait paintings done for a prominent prep school, carrying on a century old tradition. Christopher Berrisford impressed me as an amiable English Gentleman capable of meeting challenges head-on with authority, intelligence, and wit. He was more than willing to try some less formal poses - and the staff agreed this caught his personality.
A woman of many parts and talents, sensitive to beauty and elegance.
Youngest of 3 daughters, this 4-year old was outgoing, bright, and energetic. Watching her flit around a garden in her girly white dress I could have painted her a dozen ways. However, the light was right for this shot and the sound of water seemed to give her pause long enough to focus the camera lens.
Girl and Doll
Published in a nationally distributed calendar for the American Association of University Women.
This is an experimental watercolor of my son Greg. I posed him casually against the sky and was careful to allow the white prepared paper surface catch just enough of the medium to suggest shadow shapes in the shirt. I liken this look to him was listening to that distant drum beat the rest of us couldn't hear. To me it symbolizes the pivot point between boy and man, and between the real now and the hint of future promise.
Portrait painting of a beautiful Arabian mare, done in traditional transparent watercolor.
Lovely Shiloh was my favorite model one year. A high school friend of my son, she patiently and allowed me to costume her in vintage clothing and drag her about to picturesque spots to do a series of paintings based on fanciful ideas, experimenting with light and color. This one was done in a friend's rose garden.
A young businessman and his family. The picture is designed to suggest the family circle with the children enclosed between the strength of the father receptive sensitivity of the mother.
The mother of the above Bradley Boys with her youngest son, who was still pre-school. The pose tells something about the closeness of these two. The setting and their costumes were a reminisce of the architectural tradition in which the father, a builder, designed and constructed their family home.
Borrowing from portrait artist John Singer Sargent, I painted 12-year old Florence because of her uncanny resemblance to the subject in Sargent's painting. This young lady was inspiring because of her natural beauty and color, but most of all because of her intelligence, charm and directness.
Nicole's mother wanted this painting in time for her father's surprise birthday gift. Initially, Nichole was not in favor of the project; she was stiff and reserved during the first meetings. Finally, I suggested she and I go for a drive together, and when well away from the house, she led me to a beautiful park where she said she and her father used to come when she was little. It was then she was willing to enter into the spirit of the collaboration. I understand the painting was well received - the surprise having the desired result.
This painting was a husband's homage to his wife of many years. He came to me quietly inquiring how to go about getting his wife painted. He expressed concern that she might be reluctant. It was obvious he was very much in love and though he was lucky to be married to such a beautiful woman. Who could resist a scenario like that? We talked her into it and I found her to be as gracious and lovely as he said she was.
"Little Willey" was the last of her four sons and fast wearing her out. A real challenge for a portrait artist even with a fast lens. Willey was the archetypical angelic tornado. Undeniably handsome with his glowing color and impish chubby grin, he reminded me of Franz Hals "Laughing Cavalier." Done in a dark Dutch style on panel, I took full advantage of the qualities of oil paint to play the fresh pink of Willey's cheeks against the impossible red of his hair.
A family tragedy brought this portrait painting into being. This boy and girl were twins. Without the luxury of having one of them sit for me I got to know the family in a way rare for a portrait painter.
As I get to know Yvonne I came to admire her as a young woman of wisdom, integrity, and grace. Her husband had given her many French impressionist prints for their home which suggested the theme for this portrait. Yvonne had fun dressing herself and the children for the part. Later, she and husband Bruce admitted taking great delight in waiting for the moment home visitors realized there was something more to this painting than the rest of their collection.
Missy is an unknown little girl in a magazine - charming and beguiling me into painting an imaginary portrait just for fun. It wasn't until comparing the finished result with the original that I realized I had unconsciously made Missy resemble a childhood picture of myself.