Modern Art Portrait Painting

I've never painted a portrait of my Mother before. She is very active for her age and keeps on the move. I snapped a photo of her all bundled up with scarves and coat reading her mail in the car. The light bounces off the letter up to her face which prompted me to document it. This Winter has been cold and in the single digits often, since my Mother grew up in Montana, all of these wrappings seem appropriate.

The best modern portraits represent character and symbolism. Here I start with a palette knife to capture her inner psyche and vitality more than an exact duplicate of her features.

As an artist you are "given" many choices and consider them a gift. To paint her looking directly at the viewer or more of a casual pose? Warm or cool palette?  Since this is not a commissioned portrait I am free to paint entirely from the heart.

There are a number of societies and associations of portrait painters. For Classic Portraits,  Portrait Society of America and The International Society of Portrait Artists  and many others.

Carol Yap Website