By Jennifer Welty, Portraits, Inc. artist
When I begin a family portrait, I am always pondering the solution to the question, “How can I paint a piece of art that will stand the test of time, look beautiful with their furnishings AND portray the family members in a true and pleasing manner?
I depend upon my interior design experience, understanding of color, composition and the organization of shapes on the canvas to artfully design the structure of the piece. But I depend upon my soul to connect and sense who my subjects really are. This is why I build my family portraits around my subject’s expression first.
As I work with my sitters, I am searching for an expression that they make that is truly them, unguarded and unstilted. I often have to educate them to understand that a painted portrait is very different than a candid snapshot from a camera, in that we are used to seeing big smiles and an “all is right with the world” portrayal.
But if you travel through a museum, you will not find many, if any, big smiles. Rather, the subjects look to be almost unaware of the artist, as though they were caught in a contemplative moment, an unguarded moment, as they really are. This is also my goal as well, and often it takes hundreds of snapshots from my camera for me to capture that moment when my subject really relaxes into who they truly are.
After I sense that I have achieved that goal, I begin thinking of how I might arrange those expressions into a piece of art. For me, beautiful light is paramount. You might say I build my composition around the expression first, and the light second. And lastly, I try to work in the furnishings and background as a sort of “supporting cast” to the expressions and design of the painting. I feel I have achieved my goal if I am able to create a piece of art that pleases me, and if the painting brings great joy to my clients. The whole process is like a giant puzzle, and often I am surprised as anyone at the final result.
Portraits, Inc. was founded in 1942 in New York on Park Avenue. Over its 70-year history, Portraits, Inc. has carefully assembled a select group of the world’s foremost portrait artists offering a range of styles and prices. Recognized as the industry leader, Portraits, Inc. provides expert guidance for discerning clients interested in commissioning fine art portraits.