This is a portrait of a friend that I did a while back.
When I think about this portrait, it really is the classic image that I enjoy painting. Portrait of a female, gazing out to the viewer with an expression that appears subtly thoughtful.
Everyone experiences life through their own minds, and even though we live day to day with one another our own perceptions of reality may only slightly mirror what others see and experience. Through my artwork I seek to express the space in which I inhabit in my mind, the anxiety, joy, frustration, and enthusiasm that I experience so very often.
It is obvious that my subject matter heavily consists of women. While the figures may not physically resemble me they are used as subtle self-portraits. I place myself in these vessels; I use them as tools to express the states of mind and emotions that I experience. The vivid colors and bold lines echo these emotions, as the emotions are intense almost to the point of overwhelming. My artwork is heavily charged with meaning, but I want the images to be fluid, capable of holding indefinite interpretations and definitions for its viewers. Stories and relations to my pieces can be made that are far from their original intention, and I welcome these with open arms, because as I said before we all experience reality through our own minds, and the more we share these perceptions with one another the more we discover what is truly happening in our existence.
As for the formal elements of this particular piece, I started it with the intention of just playing around and experimenting with my paints by using looser strokes than what I've been typical of. It ended up being quite a successful technique and I look forward to using it in future projects. I used pink as her skin tone because I wanted to focus more on portraying her form rather than expressing accurate facial tones. That and I really like pink.
