Vincent Painting

Van Gogh reminds me that we need grit and determination to succeed. Van Gogh was unsuccessful during his lifetime, and he was considered a madman and a failure. According to popular lore, Van Gogh sold only one painting in his entire life. (This oft-repeated tale was challenged more than 30 years ago, but it still goes on. In fact, van Gogh sold at least two paintings in his lifetime, and some drawings as well.) I must soldier on each day to become better and better as an artist! I have been painting portraits for years. I started my "Icons of Icons” concept by adding gold leaf to the background, resembling religious icons. Then I swapped the oil paint for the background and the gold leaf for the actual portrait for my "Gold Portraits”. My “Bold Portraits” started when I decided to drop out everything extra, like the gold and most colors. I go through the painting several times with a very small brush in order to give it a relaxed sketchy feel while it still feels finished and refined. Now I sometimes paint hybrids of my “bold” paintings and “icons” by adding gold leaf for the background. Synopsis: I paint iconic people and topics that have had an impact on me or our society. I paint oil on canvas, but sometimes I use gold leaf or ultrablack matt acrylic paint foe effect. The painting is signed on the back and has my “e” symbol on the front. My paintings always continue around the sides, so they can be hung unframed.