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About Becoming a Portrait

Portraits aren't for everyone; but if you want something extra special for Big-0 birthdays, promotions, anniversaries, retirements, you may want to consider one...for yourself, your loved one (2 or 4 legs), a best friend.

I work primarily from photographs since busy lives don't leave much time for sittings (sketches in person are very helpful, but not necessary). The secret is a series of casual, unposed photographs that you supply or that I take. The most important ingredient is getting to know how you feel about the person or pet and what you find special about them.

Working together to create a portrait has 3 easy steps:  

1) Your completing a criteria form and our discussing it to assure your portrait commission will be a successful work of art .

2) Your sending a 50% deposit for the agreed upon medium and size of your portrait

3) Your approval of a study for the portrait.  

After your OK, if it's oil, I stretch the linen, gesso the canvas and start painting.  If it's charcoal and other media, I pick the paper and start drawing.

For more information, please email me on the form above and we can get going on the portrait of your choice.

About DC
I am an artist working in San Francisco primarily in three areas:  oil portraits, works on paper and 3-D collage.  I recently moved into my own studio southeast of the Mission district.  Islais Creek Studios is an interesting community of artists including painters, sculptors, outdoor metal sculptors, and mixed media artists.  My studio has two huge windows for lots of natural light even when the rest of the City is foggy.

As an emigre from the corporate world, I have been an ardent student of faces, body language and clothing details that are clues to authenticity and character.  The geology of character in faces is an ongoing source for new lines, form and space.

I also make 3-D collage (assemblage) with found objects and music notation.  As a kid, I read music before I read English.  When I see these notes and symbols at 1000 times their normal size, I find inspirations for new works.  These liberate my experiments with color, line and image making and bring new life to my painting. 

I count among my virtual mentors Kurt Schwitters, Louise Nevelson, Elizabeth Murray, Linda Christensen, and Lucian Freud.