STATEMENT — Portraits

Artist’s Statement—October 2011

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When painting a portrait, I am mostly a spectator. I’m spellbound, anticipating that irrational spectacle of

paint coming to life within the magic window

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Every single time it seems hopeless that a likeness will materialize from the chaos. But the spectator has seen hopelessness defeated before, and screams encouragement to the painter to push, push! onward till the subject’s visage flits and shimmers into being and gazes back out into reality with uncanny life energy. An immortal being is born!

Spectator and painter now merge gradually back into one and breathe in unison, easier now…telepathically welcoming the newcomer into existence (and promising to re-work that nose before stopping for dinner).

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