What began as an exercise has grown into a project of its own. The idea was simple: one hundred portraits of children, one after another. I prepared my painting surfaces and collected reference photographs. Whenever I’m unsure what to paint next, or simply feel like picking up a brush, I choose a photograph and begin. I don’t know most of these children. In a way, that is part of the freedom of this project. I don’t have to capture them exactly as they are. Instead, I can focus on what draws me to each face - its particular spirit, its expression, the feeling it conveys. Painting children is a special pleasure for me. There is something open, honest and unguarded in their faces that I find endlessly fascinating. What began as a challenge has become a familiar part of my painting practice – a way to work without a grand plan, to observe, to experiment and to begin again. One hundred small portraits. Each one its own, yet all part of something larger. In the gallery below, you can see a selection of these small portraits, painted with oils on a little piece of wood.
Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
