Nica

20 x 16"   Oil on Linen

When I paint a portrait I am not just copying what the sitter looks like, or simply trying to capture the sitter's character, I'm painting the relationship between myself and the sitter. My goal is to express what it is like to share a space with this person. We are breathing the same air, often conversing and listening to music, spending precious time together. There is an amazing companionship, an intimacy, a connection between the artist and sitter that is unique and intense. When a viewer looks at my portrait next week, next year, or in a museum 400 years from now, I want them to take my place, to feel like they are sharing the space with the sitter, making eye contact, spending precious time together, having an intimate relationship. If that happens I have painted a successful portrait...