Silhouette Study - Artist Statement

I completed my second study as a challenge to myself to complete work more quickly and with less detail. After spending years on detailed and realism portrait work I wanted to take a moment to be more fluid, less controlled, and let myself walk away after a time limit, rather than when I believed the piece was “perfect.” I started with a set of paintings I created off of my own gelding, Intended, and did a ying and yang style silhouette set. With my timer running I wanted to create this set of paintings based on the most basic outlines of the headshot I had chosen, and just work through the painting with no added details at all. This study continued in a similar method, adding in some colors to a couple more head shot paintings, and adding in a couple more details while maintaining my timeframe in others. I enjoyed working on these sets and finished this study with an appreciation for my attention to details, but a more fluid understanding of which ones to let go of, and when to have more fun with the painting and just let it be.