Contact

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About Becoming a Portrait

You, your loved one, your favorite non-human companion can become 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.

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.

The portrait process includes your approval of a rough study, your choosing the size and the medium (oil or mixed media).   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 share studio space with a dozen artists at the Oakdale Painting Studio southeast of the Mission district. The studio gives me lots of natural light  with its north and south windows and skylights even when the rest of the City is foggy.

When I emigrated from the corporate world to the art world, I continued to study faces, body language and accessories as clues to authenticity and character.  Capturing someone's true likeness is a challenging pleasure.  Whether it's in oil or charcoal, facial geology 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. I think this accounts for my fascination with the lines, curves and shapes you find on a page of music.  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.