Adding Value to People

Why are figurative works and human portraits so significant in your art journey?

I am finding in this chapter of my life that so much circles back to my parents’ influence. My mother loved to paint portraits. Both of my parents greatly enjoyed the artwork of Norman Rockwell. I too became a fan. There is something about being able to portray common experiences in a realistic style that engages people’s emotions. Yet the reasons go even deeper.

With the passing years my Christian faith grew, and with it a recognition of the value of human life. In Latin, the words “Imago Dei” means “in the image of God” and this conviction is woven into the creation story of Genesis. If we are serious about wanting to follow Jesus, we will become increasingly concerned about our fellow human beings. We begin to see people as individuals who are beloved to God. That belief makes a difference in how we value people and how we portray them in our artwork. 

There are great Master Artists who were able to paint human beings with an artistic expression well beyond the merely physical. Somehow these artists (for example, Thomas Eakins) seemed to be able to pull out a psychological component or an aspect of character and personality of the person whose portrait they were painting. This of course is a great goal to work towards. But when it comes back to the reason of “why do you like to paint images of people”… these reasons and more are what keeps the flame of interest lit for me.

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