The notion of turning 50 this year has freaked me out a bit. Not so much that I’m turning 50, but that my friends are. I’ve decided to paint the portraits of them to record the occasion and exhibit the finished canvases.
“If you know an artist and they haven’t painted your portrait by the time you’re 50 then you probably aren’t important.” Bob Dorsey – trying to convince someone to have their portrait painted.
I have a growing list of aging friends (yet to be disclosed), but most of them are already famous and instantly recognizable. The canvases will be approximately 5 feet wide or larger, depending on the model and the size/shape of his head.
Pictured above is the first model’s portrait that inspired the project.
I used the iPad to take the photo and I turned and frowned and smirked and pouted and stared away until I found the perfect pose. I posed against a white wall in my studio with the help of the halogen track lights creating some dramatic shadows. I hope the rest of the portraits will be lit in a similar dramatic way. The pose is up to the model and I’m already working away on my next canvas.
Check back to this private page for more updates.
Bob