The All or Nothing Syndrome.

I thought I'd finish all the acrylic paint first.

Lately, I’ve been inspired by the portraits of Hans Holbein the Younger, particularly those he painted of some of the wives of Henry VIII. I love that they are almost illustrative, I love the serenity of the faces, almost with an air of disaffection or maybe resignation which is a feeling I’ve been experiencing lately. I wonder if these women sat for him or if he made sketches from life and then went into his studio and made the portraits.

As I continued with my “using all supplies” challenge, I pulled out some old studio-grade gouache tubes I had which were practically new and I began to make some female portraits, using a bit of reference from pictures on the internet. I try to avoid fashion editorials, I rather look for found photos or old vintage Polaroids with real people (not that fashion models aren’t real people but you know…)

Talens studio grade gouache study, 2024

I’m not concerned about anatomy or likeness or anything, I’m just bowing to what comes naturally to me. Whatever w…