As a commissioned portrait artist it is necessary to maintain one's skills by producing works that grant the art personality and not just linear reproduction. I focused on the eyes which to me appear soulful and draw the viewer to the center of the piece as intended.

Much of the remainder of the face begins to blur as does the hair. The intense shadows on the right meld together giving less and less clear definition to the facial structure.

The important facet is the man staring back at the observer. You are wondering what the other is thinking.

John Lennon Portrait 1981

Moon Rocks photographed during an Apollo mission c.1969 - Reproduced 1979

Any artist worth their salt should be able to excel at photorealistic detailed reproduction before attempting to reach out to more modern production. In order to understand the abstract, I believe any artist must first gain mastery and control over their materials and techniques to create exactly what the mind views. 

This is a difficult task. Usually obstructing success are bad habits, poor past instruction and lack of practice. With understanding and insight into a student's performance I can accelerate them towards the goal of mastery, helping them discover their own abilities in the process.

In capturing the life of a statue it is important to remember the painstaking nature of working in stone. Every smooth edge is a deception. Granite is one of the hardest substances known, yet Renaissance artists were able to bring it to life.

Here I hoped to draw the living statue with its fabric draping over limbs about to move.

Statue of Rachel found in the Vatican