Paint By Numbers Series
For me it has always been about the image, not necessarily what I have seen, but what I have perceived beyond the facade. In this series of large scale paintings I have been exploring the portrait genre, not as a photographic-like rendering, but rather as an expression of their inner being. To this end, I utilize specific colors, shapes, and textures to help reinforce this persona. Each image has an historical significance attached to it which I have attempted to manifest in the works thereby adding a further level of complexity to each piece.
For instance, in the upper left hand corner of the Kennedy painting is a small, barely discernable film date; taken one film frame before he was assassinated. In addition, it is painted slightly out-of-focus and in sepia tone. It is no coincidence that I chose wild and unorthodox colors on the Prince Charles painting, repeating the shapes found in the contours of his hair with those shapes constructing his face. There are no smooth edges - Charles is a man in turmoil. Then there are the hooded snake-like eyes of Russian President Vladimir Putin and reptilian-like skin and hat. He was a former high ranking official of the KGB, and now our Ally? Can he really be trusted?
Process/Technique: I collect old "Paint by Numbers" paintings from the late 1960's. I study how they created shape and form by reducing colors to basic color planes. With this series I have taken photographs of recognizable people and broke down the shading in their face to its most basic colors. In addition, I also tried to paint their image in colors or a style which would represent their character. On pictures with black lines on, I used squeezed tube paint to create a thick 3-D line. Each of the portraits is an original oil painting, which is to say, was created by me rather than a larger version of an old "Paint by Numbers" picture.