Friday, October 23, 2015

A Fascination for Faces

While I enjoy painting a variety of subjects, I have to say that I'm probably more fascinated with faces than most. I go through stages, just finishing up a period of painting landscapes and for some unknown reason decided to switch to faces after painting about twelve landscapes. The challenge is ramped up to portray emotion moreso than with any other topic, including full figures. I'm constantly amazed at how one small stroke around an eye or two worry lines in the forehead can totally change the emotional effect upon the viewer. My most recent series, in oils, ranges from small 5x7 canvases to at this point 16x20. I am a huge believer in expressing a wide range of emotions. I never painted pieces that would just look pretty or nice in a room. I tend to use art ti make people think. I want viewers to wonder about meanings and am often pleased to create a piece that's rather disturbing. I'm a co creator with my subconscious and often can't foresee the end result of a project. Most of my efforts are a means to discover something unknown about myself so what appears to be a portrait is often a symbol or metaphor of a state of mind, an issue, something I need to address or something I'm coping with. I started this series before the art show, "Making Faces" at the Greenville Creative Arts Center. It's a highly diverse and great show by eleven local artists, some I know and some whose works are in my own or my daughter's collection. I'm a huge fan of Dabney Mahaned. Who is probably my favorite figurative artist of Greenville. It was great to see her portraits of artist,Glen Miller. With whom Dabney exchanging projects to paint each other. What a great way to get to know our fellow local artist than through another local artist's eyes?
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