4 x 4"oil on masonite
sold
sold
Now that I've hit No. 40, allow me to recap - with respect to the 100 Faces.
- my sources, for each portrait, come from police mugshots, public records. Please don't ask me again or my head will spin around and pop off.
- my purpose is simply to practice painting - to explore a human face - the skin, bone structures, all walks of life. I'm most interested in experimenting with different ground colors and how that persuades the final result.
- a few have remarked that several look as if I rushed through the paintings - well, that's the idea here. They're studies. They're not commissioned portraits. The experience here is to intuitively approach each one differently and stop when my brain says to stop. The lesson, to me, with painting, is placing brush strokes down quickly and deliberately. As to why I'm persuaded to labor over some and not others is even more fascinating. It's an exercise in going with your gut.
- the entire 100 Faces has been sold to someone who collects my work and I deeply appreciate that.
- I have a devoted blog for this series here.
And I thank you all for your comments and observations along the way. I am really enjoying what I'm doing every day.
A very expressive face. I'd love to know the history of the woman. I don't care how fast or slow you do them, to me they are all beautiful. I wish I were the person that owns them all...
ReplyDeleteTo capture the wrinkles and folds in this woman's face is remarkable, especially on such a small format. They express so much added to her eyes and down turned mouth which I read as a life not well lived. Beautifully done.
ReplyDeleteAll your paintings are stunning.
ReplyDeleteKarin,
ReplyDeleteI love the portraits and totally understand the "study" quality of the work. It's not the destination, it's the journey and if we don't challenge ourselves as painters constantly, we don't get better. They are all beautiful. As I'm not a portrait painter (that's one of MY challenges this coming year), I have nothing but outright admiration for the work, individually and as a whole. Dee
You're on my blogroll, so another one of the "100" shows up almost every day. It's like watching people in a bus station. Fascinating.
ReplyDelete...what SamArtDog said...
ReplyDeleteThe 100 Faces are lovely!
ReplyDeleteBravo to you, and then some. AS a portrait painter myself, and someone also who has been doing a yearly drawing challenge not missing a day so far, I admire your talent, commitment and voice. And dare I say, how wonderful, to have a collector for the 100. That speaks to your talent and legacy as a painter.
ReplyDeleteEven if your head did spin around and pop off, you'd still produce awesome paintings, I'll bet.
ReplyDeleteYou capture so much humanity, so much life, so much pain, so much story in these wonderful expressive faces. To think it all comes from gobs of olive and red and ochre and umber is totally amazing. They give me chills. . .
ReplyDeletehi Karin
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the recap - I just found your blog/website last week and have been searching through old posts for exactly this info! It's brilliant, I really admire your work and appreciate the time you've spent putting up such a great website and blog.
Cheers, sorrisi
I personally wish I could rush like you!
ReplyDeleteKarin,
ReplyDeleteI wish I could do a lot of things like you. Right now I am too busy to paint everyday, but seeing your work here is inspiring, and reminds me that my days are coming. Please keep throwing them down, whatever your reasons.
Laura
i am amazed at your stamina and portriats as i struggle over each portrait i do, with huge gaps to be able to move forward... but this approach to painting is wonderful though i wonder i if have the courage to try it;)
ReplyDeleteKaren, As you have recapped when you hit your #40 face, I just have to share it is so interesting to view these faces. As you captured the soul and spirit of these different individuals it is a reminder to me of how many different people there are in the world.
ReplyDeleteIt is fascinating to me how you use the different colors and the variety of brushstrokes to describe their inner being. I can sense you are using your gut and you are in a flow when you are painting these portraits.