Commission

A painted portrait is a complex combination of the sitter and the painter, the present and the future, the physical and the spiritual. It differs from portrait photography in that a painting

presents the complete and timeless qualities, personality, and expression of the individual as opposed to a moment in time.

Reverend Bryant M. Kirkland said it well when he wrote about portrait painting:

“The subject wants to be seen in the best light and to be remembered as having reached somewhere near his dreams, for lurking in every portrait is the shadow of mortality and the yearning for immortality.

“Here is where the artist is also a philosopher and a therapist as he or she helps the subject to express his hidden aspirations and sketch his dreams. The imagination of the artist can help to fulfill the vision by the placing of light, by the careful selection of suggested icons, symbolic mementos, and interpretive fabric designs.”

The finite image on a stretched canvas contains the infinite expression of a complex human being, and places them on a field of immortality.

For more information please contact contact me.

The goal of a painted portrait is to capture the essence of the subject(s). That takes time and effort for the artist and the patron.

The first step Joshua takes upon receiving a commission is to conduct an interview with the patron and/or sitter. The interview will deal with four main aspects of the patrons life:

• Family
• Occupation
• Recreation
• Meaning (their purpose)

The interview will help answer four main questions:

• What will the sitter(s) wear?
• What pose will the sitter(s) have?
• What distribution of light will be used in the painting?
• What color palette will be used?

The possible solutions to these questions will not be arbitrary but contain meaning and personal significance to the patron.

After the interview photographs will be taken from which Joshua will complete most of the painting. From the photographs and notes I will create color and compositional studies as ideas for the final portrait. These studies will be presented to the patron for final approval. Once the final approval has been given, he will complete the final painting in his studio.

For more information or to commission a portrait please contact me.