Irene Rose.
Seen through the eyes of a seven-color palette.
Alizarin crimson and
ultramarine blue compete for starring roles
while bristle brushes encounter the terrain of a prepared canvas.
Piercing blue eyes of subject and artist
mother and son
struggle to make peace with 96 years
while filberts #4 and #6 solicit to capture a wordless truth.
Each application of paint renders layers of
Guilt. Innocence.
Disappointment. Hope.
Expectation. Acceptance.
Until the last piece of paint pronounces
Forgiveness
and
Irene Rose.
Seen.
“My preference, in doing portraits, is about the relationship I develop with the subject I paint. When I ask myself the RIGHT questions, they give me the answer. Uncovering that abstract story … emotion … beauty … THAT is the joy of creativity.” – Ray
When Ray told me that he wanted to try his hand at portraiture in oils, I was curious.
When he told me his mother would be his first subject, I was surprised. When he said he needed to start and complete the portrait before the summer was through – well, he had my full attention. (Oddly, she fell and broke her hip about a month after the piece was completed.)
A portrait can capture a likeness or an essence.
What Ray captured in ‘Irene Rose’ is an essence not often seen in our day-to-day life with Irene – and that is what I love about this piece. He was able to rise above all the negative conditioning that often presents itself in this relationship with his 96-year-old mother to see and paint the woman without the fears that have driven her to drive others. (Anyone in a challenged relationship with a (more…)
