John K. Painting by Sarah Paulsen

Painting: Oil on Canvas.

I spent my early twenties painting portraits of the community of artists, musician, and poets, living around me in Columbia, MO. These people were my family and artistic influences. All of these paintings were created live from the model, and as the person sat for me, they told me stories of their life. Through this process, the images became imbibed with the characteristics of the person at that time and age. John was a fellow painter and mentor of sorts. He encouraged me at my start and helped me become a part of a larger art community. For this sitting, he put on a very clean white shirt and a nice pair of shoes, a funny thing to me because as a painter I often avoid white because I am afraid of stains. I was impressed by his dedication to sitting still and looking so directly at me as I painted him. I use art as a method of storytelling and I believe that each portrait tells a story of that person. I prefer working in oil because of the brilliance of color, the slowness of the medium, and the body of the paint.