| What is art? Art is subjective, and not everyone | | | | Absolutely! Very few would disagree. |
| agrees on what makes something art. Something like | | | | Back when the "Old Masters" were contemporaries, |
| beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. A client told | | | | film hadn't been invented, so there was no |
| me not long ago that while she had no problem | | | | photography as we know it. And as I said, the |
| hanging large art pieces on her walls, she just couldn't | | | | majority of their works were portraits commissioned |
| see a large family photo on her wall...She didn't want | | | | by their patrons, or inspired by their friends. Certainly |
| to look at herself "that big!" | | | | landscapes and city scenes, slices of life as it was |
| Wow! | | | | then were also subjects for paintings. Very much as |
| I know my ears turned red because I could feel the | | | | it is today with painters and photographers alike. |
| heat coming off them! I stood there in stunned | | | | For the most part, the job of creating portraits has |
| silence for a minute, then said, "So, you don't | | | | been turned over to photographers, and those who |
| consider portraits as art?!" I felt like I had been | | | | specialize in portraiture have received the baton from |
| slapped in the face! | | | | the portrait painters of old. The art of portraiture |
| You see, I have dedicated myself to creating the | | | | largely remains the same. Only the tools have |
| most beautiful family portraits possible for the last 16 | | | | changed. The ability to 'see' and to compose remain |
| years. To me, and to the vast majority of my | | | | the cornerstone of the portraitist's art, along with the |
| clients, (I must say all my real clients), a fine family | | | | ability to draw out the personality of the subject and |
| portrait truly is an art piece. A family art treasure! | | | | transfer the vision to print media. |
| And I would venture to say that even the client I | | | | There are many parallels between the painting |
| referenced at the beginning here would, in the case | | | | masters portraits of old and today's photographic |
| of a fire, grab her family portrait and run for | | | | portrait artists. Not the least being that we are |
| safety....but I could be wrong...it's happened before. | | | | commissioned to create the portraits in the first |
| Since I was a very young boy and to now, I have | | | | place, and it is our passion and livelihood. Depicting |
| always taken my inspiration for my work from the | | | | personality, emotion and moment has always been |
| Old Masters of painting. Their ability to show | | | | about lighting and featuring certain aspects of the |
| personalities and emotion in their images has always | | | | subject whether captured in oils or on film or by |
| drawn me in. Most of their works were portraits of | | | | digital sensor. And today's portraits will be the future's |
| friends and patrons. Yes, portraits. Are they art? | | | | historical record of our contemporary life. |