Barbara Bailey Hutchison
Artist Statement
I love to paint “heads”. I seek to capture the emotion, the light, the character, an essence of my subject that perhaps lies beneath the surface. Every face (human or animal) is a landscape in itself. There are so many stories to tell in the crevices and planes of the forehead and cheeks. The light in the eyes, or lack there of, the curves and shadows of the lips, the nose... so many variations, so many beautiful shapes to explore and define.
While many artists inspire me, one of my favorites is Chuck Close. His magnificent heads and artistic style excite me and cause me to 'think big'. Another of my favorite artists is Mark Mehaffey. Mark is my mentor, my painting “guru”. He has helped me discover the joy of experimenting with color, value, and surface. He opened the door of possibilities and encouraged me to move from my “outsider” vantage point to where the action is.
As the words of a Don Henry song I often sang in concert say, “Ever since the beginning, to keep the world spinning, it takes all kinds of kinds.” Represented here are a few “kinds”, beautiful faces, landscapes of lives being lived, stories being told, hopes and dreams reflected in a captured moment.
(Click on the images below for more info and larger image.)
Artist Statement
I love to paint “heads”. I seek to capture the emotion, the light, the character, an essence of my subject that perhaps lies beneath the surface. Every face (human or animal) is a landscape in itself. There are so many stories to tell in the crevices and planes of the forehead and cheeks. The light in the eyes, or lack there of, the curves and shadows of the lips, the nose... so many variations, so many beautiful shapes to explore and define.
While many artists inspire me, one of my favorites is Chuck Close. His magnificent heads and artistic style excite me and cause me to 'think big'. Another of my favorite artists is Mark Mehaffey. Mark is my mentor, my painting “guru”. He has helped me discover the joy of experimenting with color, value, and surface. He opened the door of possibilities and encouraged me to move from my “outsider” vantage point to where the action is.
As the words of a Don Henry song I often sang in concert say, “Ever since the beginning, to keep the world spinning, it takes all kinds of kinds.” Represented here are a few “kinds”, beautiful faces, landscapes of lives being lived, stories being told, hopes and dreams reflected in a captured moment.
(Click on the images below for more info and larger image.)