I have always drawn the faces of people. I just love to capture them looking at you. I’ve been away from portraiture for a while but, I’m back!
Portrait of a Young Lady
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Tag Archives: portrait
Slap
Hostile and spiteful actions are rarely forgiven from a mostly caring audience. As a celebrity, it was already doubtful as to his contribution to the vitality of the art form. Someone is owed far more than an apology.
Portrait of an Unidentified Apostle with Donkey
12×24 oil on canvas
Keeping in mind that I am not a religious person, in fact, a recovering catholic as I’ve often called myself, I’ve often imagined illustrating a book of the Bible. Daunting, but probably fun. From what I understand, the apostles were all teenagers when they were called. This is why I would paint them as very young looking, as in the depiction here.
Young Frida Kahlo
From a black and white reference photo taken before her devastating accident. Enjoy.
Chagall II
Kind of like drinking, the funny thing about painting is that you never really get the hang of it. I say this with all seriousness aside, for this is not really a good comparison, nor is it true. My college mates and I had many a laugh about how we failed at drinking most all the time.
The thing is, when it comes to painting, often one’s expectations are explicitly clear but results vary, and this keeps us in the painting game.
Once you have 10,000 hours in, the question still arises, “what to paint?” And, “How shall I paint it?” “What art movement or style am I most closely related to?” But why do we pay attention to such reductive talk? It is because we we are often asked such questions by galleries and collectors.
In the end, one must choose how to make the greatest impact, paint your most astonishing art, give birth to your most honest contribution to the vitality of any art form or style. This is what we are charged with delivering. Like they ask in the business world, “what is your deliverable?” In the case of painting, it’s your honest self.
Diego and Frida
Late in 2021, I began to study the methods and approach to painting of Paul Cezanne more intensely. Here was a man who proclaimed “With an apple, I will astonish Paris.” This attitude struck me as the very attitude necessary to face a blank canvas every day. To choose to paint, to make the sacrifices, one must work very hard to do the very best work one is capable of, and one must believe that a serious contribution can be made to the very vitality of the art of painting in our time. This is what I am attempting to do. I cannot let any part of history escape me in order to fortify and support each brush stoke I choose to make. I know this probably all sounds so serious, and it is, for the work one does with the mind, the heart, and the hand together, is the most profound work one can do.
Having said all that, I had some fun in attempting to focus on the muses of Cezanne with this effort. I found an old black and white photo of this historic couple to practice some of the aforementioned methodologies, and this is where I shall stop on this one and move on to a new blank canvas. This is my first painting of the year 2022. Cheers.
Mr. Randy Newman
I was asked to paint a portrait of this guy as a gift and, could only find a few photos where he is looking at the camera. I settled on this one, which was black and white so, I had to invent the color palette. Happy with results.
Free Now
I was asked by a friend to paint a portrait of their dog, Remi, who passed away recently. It turned out nicely and they are delighted. RIP – you are free now.
Joni Michell
Warhol
POTA # 7
POTA # 6
POTA #4
Untitled POTA#3
Untitled POTA#2
1652
Zuckerberg
watercolor 5×7
Eden
8 x 10 oil on panel – private collection
“The Farrier”
16×20 oil on canvas – private collection
Along the Conejos River near the New Mexico border at a fly-fishing cabin of an old friend and master painter/outdoorsman Andy Peters. Just about as good as the western life can get. Of course there is always work to be done.
“Sophia”
8×10 oil on panel – commission
Wonderful Sophia. Daughter of friends Jeff and Paige Bower.
“Clown Sees First Sunset”
8×10 oil on panel
Henry the Clown tried to hitchhike his way out of town on his escape from the circus he was living in. No one offered Henry a ride and now he is alone and darkness is approaching. He pauses though in revelation on witnessing his very first sunset as a free man. Who knows what tomorrow will bring for our neophyte Henry.
“Clown Goes on Lamb”
8×10 oil on panel
So Henry the clown contemplated the door and has now gone through it out into the world. He is “on the lamb” from the life he was living and is venturing out in the world to see just what it is made of. Stay tuned. We will be right with him through his discoveries, his trials and tribulations, his becoming.
“Clown Contemplating Door”
8×10 oil on panel – private collection
This little painting is the start of a narrative about becoming. About questioning ones self about where in life they are and where they might be headed. Stay tuned as Henry the Clown adventures out into life, loses his innocence and discovers himself.
jeff klisares 