One of My Favorite Faces

People like looking at attractive people. It's a fact that we all know, and when it comes to art, at least my art, this is especially true. I have had a few galleries request "prettier girls" since that's what their clients lean towards. I've noticed that the "pretty people" sell quicker. There's nothing wrong with this. People just like looking at attractive things.

I try to paint interesting people, images that have a story to tell. Sometimes these people happen to be attractive, but every once in awhile I find an image that I am inexplicably drawn to and the person in the photo is not the stereotypical "pretty person". I know that in all likelihood the painting won't sell, but that doesn't matter to me. Sometimes I need to paint an image for me, because I like the photo, and not worry about whether it is something that will sell. My latest painting is one such image. There is just something about this girl's face that I love. The shadows on the left side of the face, the stark whiteness of certain parts of her dress, the scared looking kitten...all of these things add to what makes this image so good. The composition is great too. I kept the composition of the painting pretty much the same as the photo because it was that good. I know she's not the prettiest girl, but this was one of my favorite faces to paint. I hope you can see the beauty of it too.

untitled (for now), 24"x18"
This painting will be shown at Manna Gallery in April.