Oil: Clay Face Series. Late 1990's
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My family was struck by a tragedy in 1992. At that time I had been painting realistic florals so migrated to realistic portraits as a means to honor the living; six of those are included here.
Yet, I felt compelled to capture grief in art work. What kind of artist—who are privileged as a group to express emotion in their work—would not be suspicious of their skill if they could not express the breadth of human emotions?
This challenge took me on a four year journey, the results shown here. These 'Clay Face' paintings are also realistic, as they are based on photographs taken of family and friends who covered their face with clay.
Note: These paintings are smooth as glass. The 'cracks' and lumps have been painted by hand using multiple glaze layers.
Yet, I felt compelled to capture grief in art work. What kind of artist—who are privileged as a group to express emotion in their work—would not be suspicious of their skill if they could not express the breadth of human emotions?
This challenge took me on a four year journey, the results shown here. These 'Clay Face' paintings are also realistic, as they are based on photographs taken of family and friends who covered their face with clay.
Note: These paintings are smooth as glass. The 'cracks' and lumps have been painted by hand using multiple glaze layers.