Portraiture

As I mentioned on the previous page, I painted a lot when I was younger, but I don’t paint much, anymore.

This portrait of my dad was painted a couple years ago, but otherwise, I seem to only paint maybe once or twice every decade, or so. I had a conversation with a friend recently, and I was asked why I don’t paint. “If I had your abilities, that is the only thing I would ever do.”

It was a nice thing to say, but for me, ability has nothing to do with it. I have decided it’s a bit like those adult coloring books - those ones where it helps you get into a meditative state. On rare occasions, I do like just returning to that state. I don’t think I’ve ever won an award, as an adult, for my paintings. People are generally bored with them and gravitate to colorful, abstract things, and I get that.

I have to be careful when I say painting often bores me, because some of my artist friends take it personally. However, I purely mean it is boring for me to do, not that painting it boring in general. I have a ton of original paintings hanging in my house. None of them are mine. I only hang the work of others. I prefer it that way.