meaning Painting

As an expressive artist, I seek to explore profound themes surrounding human experiences, relationships, and our connection to humanity through portraiture. While trained primarily in oil painting techniques, I now work predominantly in acrylics due to their versatility and ability to seamlessly layer vibrant colors. My portraiture process begins by observing and building rapport with my subjects to gain a deep understanding of their personality, character, and essence. I photo document our interactions and conduct detailed life drawing sessions to examine facial expressions, body language, and how light interacts with the physical form. In the studio, I then layer acrylic paint over a slow, deliberate timeframe, aiming to realistically depict outward appearances while simultaneously expressing inner emotions, thoughts, and psychology. Technically, I am fascinated by manipulating acrylics' quick drying time to my advantage, building up thin glazes and layers that allow me to gradually model forms, imbue skin with a tangible sense of depth and memory. Compositionally, striking tight framing and exclusion of non-essential details emphasize intimate glimpses of human intimacy, connection, and subtle emotive moments between figures. The central theme in my work is exploring humanity - our relationships with each other, experiences of the human condition, and how we interact with and are shaped by our ever-changing environment and society. I seek to depict thought-provoking snapshots that question societal norms and elicit contemplation around what it truly means to be human. My portraits aim to evoke empathy and prompt viewers to reflect on profound aspects of human existence, psychology, and our shared nature. It is my goal as an artist to cultivate vulnerability in both my subjects and audience while using portraiture as a vehicle for insightful commentary on the human experience. Through intimate glimpses and delicate layering of paint, I strive to convey universally powerful yet privately felt revelations about intimacy, empathy, and our profound yet fleeting moments of connection and understanding as humans.