The portrait is one of the most widely recognized forms of visual art- both the simplest and most complex of subjects. As simple as the depiction of the angles of a face or as complex as nature (human or not), the portrait as a theme has remained prevalent throughout art history. The face is the first shape that babies recognize and continues to appeal to us on a visceral level. Faces, therefore, are the medium I use.

The subject of my portraits is not my model. I paint the abstract- the thought that has just occurred, the plan that is weighing down, the fear or pain or invitation. The model is less the subject and more the medium, with paint and charcoal the shell that draws the eye. Painting and drawing techniques are useful in that they symbolize the development of the idea- the real subject. I use directional mark-making and a contrast of stark and developed layers to express the idea behind the image, with a realistically drawn hand (for example) becoming more important than a sketched and darkened face, or the line dividing two bodies stronger than either.