How Historical Portraits became part of my portfolio...
In 2010, I was invited to create some paintings for show that would showcase the history of the Town of Gravenhurst, Ontario. I decided to produce a group of oil portraits depicting some of the pioneering individuals who helped shape the town’s earliest history.
As I researched the project, I uncovered some wonderfully captivating characters. Only problem was that the images available for me to work from were small, black and white photos taken from books, family albums, or the town archives. Some of the photos were scarcely larger than a postage stamp, and many were very poor quality. Painting from such limited source material required me to exercise my imagination as well as all skills as a portraitist.
The project was a challenge, but it proved a surprisingly joyful experience. It was enormously satisfying to transform grainy old photographs into flesh-and-blood images, and to reflect the energy that characterized these fascinating individuals. As I become more and more acquainted with my various subjects – and in some instances with their present-day family members – I was determined to capture each of them in all their three-dimensional humanity.
The show was a great success, and the portraits were a triumph. Local residents, as well as visiting tourists, seemed to thoroughly enjoy coming face-to-face with history. For some the experience was especially personal. Often the portraits evoked family memories, prompting stories to be told and shared. Relatives of some of the subjects commissioned additional portraits -- paintings that have now become treasured family heirlooms.
Following the show, the eight portraits were unveiled and permanently installed in the Gravenhurst Town Hall, where they are a continuing source of public interest and local pride.
Here's a video of the unveiling in August 2010...
In 2010, I was invited to create some paintings for show that would showcase the history of the Town of Gravenhurst, Ontario. I decided to produce a group of oil portraits depicting some of the pioneering individuals who helped shape the town’s earliest history.
As I researched the project, I uncovered some wonderfully captivating characters. Only problem was that the images available for me to work from were small, black and white photos taken from books, family albums, or the town archives. Some of the photos were scarcely larger than a postage stamp, and many were very poor quality. Painting from such limited source material required me to exercise my imagination as well as all skills as a portraitist.
The project was a challenge, but it proved a surprisingly joyful experience. It was enormously satisfying to transform grainy old photographs into flesh-and-blood images, and to reflect the energy that characterized these fascinating individuals. As I become more and more acquainted with my various subjects – and in some instances with their present-day family members – I was determined to capture each of them in all their three-dimensional humanity.
The show was a great success, and the portraits were a triumph. Local residents, as well as visiting tourists, seemed to thoroughly enjoy coming face-to-face with history. For some the experience was especially personal. Often the portraits evoked family memories, prompting stories to be told and shared. Relatives of some of the subjects commissioned additional portraits -- paintings that have now become treasured family heirlooms.
Following the show, the eight portraits were unveiled and permanently installed in the Gravenhurst Town Hall, where they are a continuing source of public interest and local pride.
Here's a video of the unveiling in August 2010...