A Good Life...

12x20 Oil/Linen Panel

Private Collection

detail

This is a commission piece I did before the holidays. The painting was to be given as a Christmas gift so I held off on sharing it here. At first I was concerned there wasn't enough information to do a true portrait of Patrick, the gentleman shown here towing his boat. The lack of detail in the photo actually worked to my advantage. It made me focus on getting the forms and values in the face correct without getting wrapped up in painting the eyes, the nose, etc... kind of like mandatory squinting. Having known Patrick and his family, I was surprised and pleased with how this method helped me to capture not only a true likeness, but also my memory of his character and gesture. He was a fine and solid person and I was honored to be part of such a gift.