Work in Progress

Native American Boy
Work in Progress
This is something of a shift in directions, and in a way a return to my roots. No, I am not Native American, I am speaking as my roots as a painter. Portrait painting was my first love and my primary interest for many years. I was fascinated by the human face and the stories revealed in each expression. A lifetime of joy and sorrow and a million other emotions can be found in the human face, if only you will look beneath the surface. While I still do lots of commissioned portraits, my non-commissioned work has been focused a bit more on animals, flowers and seascapes. This is a return to painting a portrait for the the pure joy and adventure of it. It still needs a little work, but I hope to pull it all together in the next couple of days and list it online soon.
Years ago, while vacationing in Colorado, I watched a beautiful performace of dance and was thrilled when a young Native American boy graciously allowed me to photograph him. I tucked the photo away and had almost forgotten it, but came across it recently when trying to organize my studio. The intense expression on his face and the bright colors of his costume fascinated me and I knew it would have to become a painting. By the way, I never did finish straightening up my studio.
It was my third grade teacher and her love of all things Native American who first inspired me to look at their art and culture. I think that experience opened the door to the discovery of amazing and beautiful people from many cultures in the world.