People Being Series

 Started in 2013, I've been creating a new set of works in watercolors on paper. The idea stems from the numerous travel photos I have collected from various locations. Although the places are so different geographically, people are still the same wherever you go. Searching through my photos, I have selected and then accentuated persons being where they are.

I like the idea of the possible conversations happening between persons featured. Painting them, I think: what was their day like? Although geographically, they and I are differ, I wonder how similar our daily lives are. It’s not about capturing the (seemingly) meaningless and mundane of life’s activities. It’s about moments in time. All of the photos I use as reference are my own; personal to me and my memory of being there, people watching, essentially. Most of the people do not know I am photographing them, nor are they informed of this series of work. Why concentrate on one person in the painting and not the group of people in the background? Where is the story?

Why turn photographic reference images into paintings? Why not merely present the photo, as a journalistic, voyeuristic record of a time and location?

Perhaps, the painting process allows for wondering dialogue between persons pictured to occur. Perhaps the choosing to focus on the detail of one (interesting) person over the background details, creates the story I imagine. Yes, stories…

It’s very important to me that I only reference from photographs that I have taken. My artwork is inspired solely from my photos and memories, not a stock photography website.

All watercolor paintings are for sale, originals only, no copies.

9 x 12 inches on 200lb cold pressed watercolor paper.

All paintings are framed.