A painted portrait, in my own style
I paint portraits the way I paint everything: loosely, with attention to light, posture and presence. Not an exact copy of a photograph, but a painted portrait that captures the person in a few telling strokes, not in every detail. If you are looking for a photorealistic likeness, I am not the right painter. If you want a distinctive, painterly portrait that stays with you, I am.
A portrait can be a head, a half figure or full length. In oil on linen or panel. The style is mine: figurative, with a loose touch, focused on form, light and the tension a body or a gaze can hold. I paint the person as I see them, not as a camera records them.
I work from life or from photographs I take myself. This happens during a sitting in my studio in North Holland, or on location at your place: I come to you for a quick sketch and my own photo session as the basis for the painting. That lets me keep control of the light, the posture and the character of the work. I do not work from supplied snapshots: a casual photo does not hold what I need to make a good painting.
I accept a small number of commissions each year, only projects I can do justice. Each one begins with a conversation about size, mood and setting. A sitting or photo session is part of the work, in my studio or on location. A portrait commission starts from 1270 euro, depending on size and approach. Depending on size and complexity, the process usually takes 2 to 4 months.