portraits

Ever since I became an artist, I’ve known I wanted to paint portraits. When I came across an online phenomenon known as the 100 Heads Challenge last year, I decided to join in and start contributing my own efforts as a way of developing myself as a portrait artist. The 100 Heads Challenge was launched on Instagram several years ago as a platform for artists interested in portraiture to develop and post a series of a hundred portraits.

The challenge doesn’t specify any particulars about the artwork, which can be in any style or medium and can be done at any pace, and anyone can participate. The only requirement is simply to be making the portraits and sharing them online. I soon found that the self-imposed deadlines combined with the visibility of a social media network were tremendously effective in motivating me to be creating and sharing new paintings on a regular basis. In addition, the challenge has helped me to connect with other artists, be inspired by the work others are doing, and get encouragement and support from a worldwide online artists community.

The portraits on view here are selections from the series. Some of these portraits are people I know in real life, while others were done using references from artist friends I have made online. Over the course of the series, I have learned a tremendous amount about the processes of painting, observation, and imagination as they apply to the art of the portrait, as well as establishing a professional practice doing portrait commissions. Thank you for taking the time to view my work, and please let me know if you have any questions about my work or my process!