The Book Cover Venue For Art

There are artists who prefer not to do portraits, being unable to capture emotions, moods, or fleeting moments that register on faces for mere seconds. But not this self taught artist whose portraits hang on the living room walls in the Marion home he shares with his wife. Faces, a large montage, features the famous and not so famous countenances of an American tap dancer, an actor a scientist, the composite between three famous comedians, the traditional cast members of a long running science fiction TV series, a former TV reporter, various rock stars, athletes and entertainers, as well as his friends. He starts by taking still from videos, from which he gets some really interesting expressions. He filled a year and a half of rendering faces of people who influenced him onto the single montage.

Aside from the montage, he has individual portraits of the lead singer from Babes in Toyland, a Russian gymnast, and a songwriter. His usual working tools are pencil, graphite, and charcoal. He filled out his palette later with conte crayon and colored pencils. Colored pencils became another of his skills with his first sketch of him and his Japanese wife, who is from Kobe. Both American drawing and Japanese wood block print styles were used in the drawing. On top of the wedding photograph, taken at City Hall in December 1996, he added personal and Japanese symbols.

One such enhancement was the addition of their three cats, who were not there at the real wedding. The face of one cat was turned into a Japanese opera mask, said to fend off evil spirits. In a position of good luck he decided to draw the second cat.

Instead of what they actually wore at the wedding, he drew them in kimonos. With the kikyo, a flower that is her matriarchal symbol, he drew his wife. The third cat guards a gingko tree, seen behind the blinds outside the room. Longevity is symbolized by the gingko, which the artist thought of drawing after he saw a tree at the University of Iowa.

The first time the couple worked together was on this 1997 drawing. It was his wife's job to develop and critique ideas. According to her, the drawing is very dear to them. The artist says he would like to expand into landscapes, but he will always add people, as they are his favorite pieces to draw.

One book has featured four of his pieces, one as the cover, and he feels this is a good replacement for having a live exhibit. A staff member brought his work to the attention of the book editor. The editor, in an email, extolled his artistic techniques, combination of portraiture and architecture, and expression of intelligence and humor. His childhood days of drawing action heroes and rock stars have given way to virtual masterpieces. His ability has grown so that he can draw anything he puts his mind to. He says its better than taking a picture, because you can add or change things.


To find out more on paintings check out portrait artists uk. Learn more about portrait painting in oil and the wider subject of paintings.

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