At a workshop this week, trying to think about how to weave together some almost-successful (but not quite) portrait attempts from the last year. How to create a portrait that has a complicated feel, a sense of narrative… but is not so heavy-handed in its storytelling that the viewer feels like their being bludgeoned with message?
I painted an image of my friend Becky, who is on the verge of empty nesting after 20+ years of full time parenting at the residency this spring. Even though I liked the picture technically, it felt too static, a little over-done…
Here’s another take:
Becky Suite (2019), acrylic on panel, 8x8” and 6x6”