Glasses and Golden Hair Painting

My oil paintings are done in alla prima in order to achieve the wet, smooth integration of colors. I start and finish a painting in one session, diving right in with paint, without using any drawing or sketch beforehand. This gives my work a sense of ephemerality and makes every single brush stroke important. Because of this, I embrace and even accentuate the painterly aspect of my work. This process also gives the painting a bit of freedom. As I push and pull the paint, oftentimes I will get a color or brushstroke that seems to be the painting telling me what it wants to do. I spent much of my formal art education in art academies and universities learning accuracy and technique. Due to my many years of classically trained realism, I strive to accurately portray the subject, while expressively conveying the emotion using vibrant colors and passionate brushstrokes. Paint has a magical way of capturing the fleeting sparkle of the eyes or the slight curl of the lips, or even the tear as it runs down the cheek. As I paint in alla prima, I can capture the moment in its entirety by staying with it and finishing the painting before the moment passes. Sometimes it takes a few hours, other times it can be the better part of a day and night, in either case I paint, and continue painting until the painting comes to life. My subject of choice is people and animals. I love looking into the eyes and seeing the living soul.