When you view my portraits, you will not see convention or simple facsimile. Instead, hopefully you will see my interest in the physical representation of a person's personality or history or loves or accomplishments or any combination of these elements. The subject or the subject's family and friends are very important in this process as I depend on them to give me the dimensions missing from a photograph or even sitting sessions. Who is the subject? What does she represent to her loved ones, to the world, to herself? What place is most like home for her:

her living room, the sea, the mountains, surrounded by her children?

I work in oil, watercolor or pastel. The medium depends on the patron’s needs and/or how I see the subject.

Girl, watercolor

I am a painter of personalities, of biographies, of significant memories. This is how portrait painting is defined for me.

A patron, whether he is the subject of the work or the commissioner, can expect to be very involved in the portrait process.

I request photographs of the person from babyhood to maturity. We have conversations about the subject and eventually personality and life interests and goals are identified. Many times other dimensions of the person’s life surface and subtly find their way into the painting.

The next step:  I take many  of my own source photographs.  Portraits benefit from the subject posing while

I paint and yet I find that this circumstance becomes less and less possible for many reasons.  I take my own source photographs, that is photos of the subject from many angles, in many environments, during various moods and activities.  These in addition to the archive of family images provide a range of identity that help me develop the image.

The portrait, any portrait, is just one still instant in a life composed of millions of instants.  I think of it as less a stop frame movement and more the sum of all those instants.  Some of our attributes are present throughout our lives; some are more fleeting.  It is my job to sort through it all, pick and choose which attributes I wish to portray to tell the truest story of the individual.

Preps

Clay maquettes help familiarize me with the volumes in the face and head.

Portrait Prices

Portraits are not priced by size, medium or how much of the figure is represented, i.e. head, head and shoulders, head shoulders, and hands, etc. Rather the price basically depends on the complexity of the design. It may be enough to paint the person’s figure, his stance, the facial expression with which he chooses to face the world. Or the design of the portrait might suggest that the subject be surrounded by details of her life, or that she be in a certain place.

Design fee of $250 is due when the thumbnail drawing is approved.  This will be applied against the final fee.

Portrait prices range from $2100 to $3000, depending on the composition.

Each additional portrait subject in the composition is $350.

Projects over 50% in either direction will be subject to an additional $400.

The terms of payment are first payment, usually half the cost (minus the design fee,) is due at the contour line drawing approval.  Second payment is due upon completion. 
There is sales tax.