Portraiture is a
new and exciting direction for me. For ten years, my
husband Ron and I have had a thriving business painting
murals and custom fine art, marketing exclusively through
interior designers. About a year ago, with the downward
trend in the economy, our workload stopped like the turning
off a faucet. Since that time we have been making
adjustments to find ways to continue generating income from
a clientele with significantly less money for things like
artwork. Fortunately, we have found a nearly universal
interest in portraiture, if it is affordable. By pricing a
“Quickdraw Portrait” of approximately twenty minutes at
twenty dollars, my art is within the means of almost
everyone. It is so popular that we have opened a portrait
studio in Seattle on Second and
Stewart called ARTSY.
I studied for two years at The Academy
of Fine Art in Seattle, (now
Gage
Academy) taking classes
in portraiture from renowned artists Gary
Faigan and
Tony
Ryder. Although I
enjoyed portraiture and have a talent for getting a
likeness, I felt the formality of full-sized oil portraits
was a bit stuffy. I enjoy alla
prima painting, done
in one sitting, as it keeps me on my toes and allows me to
be completely open to my subject. The ten years painting
murals has been invaluable training for the extremely fast
pace of these portraits as they require speed, efficiency
and allow no room for error. My style is fresh by
necessity. The twenty-minute goal, as set by my custom-made
hourglass, results in a loose, spontaneous, expressionist
style. I feel it better reflects the casual lifestyle of
our contemporary culture.
Even those with a taste for abstract art appreciate classic
art skills when it comes to having their portrait painted.
My “Quickdraw Portraits” are not caricatures, relying on
clichéd poses, stock coloring and exaggerated features,
they are full-color, 9 X 12 inch permanent gouache
paintings. Very demanding of my art skills, the “Quickdraw
Portraits” keep me challenged and interested in the art
process.
I believe in telling the “sweet truth.” We all have beauty
in us and I am saddened when I hear someone say they are
too old or unattractive to have themselves “immortalized in
art.” I find it is possible to indicate age and character
without drawing attention to wrinkles and blemishes. As
those of us who are not photogenic know, a photograph can
be very unkind and does not really tell the truth. For
example, after having her portrait done, a woman who sat
for me coerced her very reluctant husband to have his
portrait done as well. He claimed he had never had a
photograph taken in his life that he liked. I found he had
a very jovial personality that apparently was not
recognized by the dispassionate camera lens. I was very
gratified to see his delighted reaction to my animated
painting of him.
I enjoy the moment of truth when I show the sitter the
results of my efforts. I know I have done well when their
face lights up in a smile of astonishment. Interesting
things happen when painting from the model. I have on
several occasions had people tell me things like “That
looks just like my sister!” or “I never realized how much I
resemble my father”. After watching me paint her lovely
eleven year old, the girl’s mother exclaimed “It looks like
her grandmother at her age!”
One of the more pleasant experiences I have had was at
the Kitsap Arts
and Crafts Fair when a
fun-loving grandmother and granddaughter became my
subjects. I like to think that the young girl, with her
fuchsia colored hair, will treasure the happy memory of
that day, evoked by my casual portrait, long after her
grandmother is gone. My sincere hope is that I am creating
family heirlooms. I take care that my work is archival and
fits into a standard size frame.
Exploring new avenues to generate revenue I have discovered
a unique form of performance art. Painting with accuracy,
fluidity, style and speed while working against the clock
is exciting! Apparently others think so too. I never fail
to attract onlookers over my shoulder, especially children
who are fascinated by the process. I have recently started
painting “Quickdraw Sketches”. These are candid vignettes
in pen and colored pencil on toned paper that I turn into
original art greeting cards. These 5 to 10 minute drawings
are an artistic way to document parties, events and
celebrations.
My “Quickdraw Portraits” and “Quickdraw Sketches” are
original art, not reproductions. The results I achieve
cannot be duplicated by the camera or manipulated in
Photoshop. I am often approached with snapshots of friends,
relatives and beloved pets that I transform into permanent
works of art. People have been using my portraits as very
personalized gifts. They are appearing on Facebook, and as
company profiles.
I am delighted to have found a way to make my art
accessible and useful to a wide range of people. Drawing in
the foot traffic with my low prices on the busy downtown
street in front of ARTSY has given me the reputation of
being somewhat of a street artist. The adjustment to the
recession has led me from a selective high-end clientele to
a more democratic demographic and my art is flourishing
because of it.
~Kristine Henshaw