Joy and Sorrow

When he was asked which was the right way, the path of sorrow or the path of joy, the rabbi of Berdichev said:

There are two kinds of sorrow and two kinds of joy. When a person broods over the misfortunes that have come upon him, when he cowers in a corner and despairs of help—that is a bad kind of sorrow, concerning which it is said, “The Divine Presence does not dwell in a place of dejection.” The other kind is the honest grief of a person who knows what he lacks.

The same is true of joy. He who is devoid of inner substance and, in the midst of empty pleasures, does not feel it, nor tries to fill his lack, is a fool. But he who is truly joyful is like a person whose house has burned down, who feels his need deep in his soul and begins to build anew. Over every stone that is laid, his heart rejoices.

David

This is David. He's a cousin living in New Orleans. I don't know him that well but I've always liked him.

This is, admittedly, kind of an odd portrait - even for me - and it has little to do with David and more to do with my own sense of balance today.

10x10 gouache and pencil in my huge Moleskine sketchbook. #247

Helen

This is Helen.We went to high school together. This portrait nearly drove me crazy and I'm not sure how I feel about it. They don't always turn out like I want. I'm going to title this one "Helen had a crush on me and I was a chicken". It's literal and allegorical. And nonsensical.

10x15 Pencil and gouache. #220

Kris

This is Kris. She is an artist friend living in Rockland. She lived and painted in Provence for many years.

11x17 Gouache on Cardboard. #219

Debbie

This is Debbie. She's an interior designer and she has a pig named Snuffles.

10x13 watercolor and gouache on Twinrocker watercolor paper. #212

Dorie

This is Dorie. I met her about ten years ago when she contacted me to help her with designing renovations to her home. She's an artist and we had a great time coming up with the design. Anyway, when I went to look for a picture of her on Facebook to do her portrait I didn't find any so I asked her if I could paint her portrait live.

Doing a live portrait is actually kind of terrifying for me - probably I don't want to offend the person I am painting. It's a pretty vulnerable position both for the sitter and the artist. At the same time there is an intensity and present-ness that's exhilarating.

We decided to do this in her art studio. I brought paints and brushes and an easel and started with a sketch which seemed too small to me. I expressed my frustration and Dorie offered me some larger cold press watercolor paper. Interesting, a new paper, why not? (This may not seem big to most of you, but in painting, changing papers changes everything about how the paint is absorbed, drys, blends with other colors, creates shades, texture and tones. Everything). So I started anew with drawing in pencil. Perhaps because I felt the paper would stay too wet for too long, I decided to paint with gouache, which I rarely paint with. So lots of new things started happening which was fun, scary, and messy.

Back in my studio the starkness of the background didn't feel right so I painted in a background that felt Dorie-esque.

Thanks Dorie, for being my first live model in The Portrait Project.

16x19 pencil and gouache on watercolor paper. #187

Karim

This is Karim. He is an urban sketching friend from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

12x16 Gouache. #175

Heather

This is Heather. She and my wife both work with Sotheby's International Realty but in different offices. She grew up on a small island off the coast of Maine and lives down in Portland now. I think she has a beautiful smile.

16x12 watercolor, gouache and pencil. #168

Richard

This is Richard. I wouldn't be where I am today without him. Literally.

About 10 years ago he walked into my little studio in downtown Camden and asked me if I knew of any architects that might want to move to a really nice space in a building he owned. At the time I was looking to expand so I told him I would be interested in taking a look at it. I fell in love with the space and rented it on the spot. I have practiced architecture and art here since that day and don't have any plans to move.

Richard is also an entrepreneur and has been an innovator and pioneer in the digital news industry and is a very active member in our local community.

7x11 pencil and gouache with some Artrage. #143

Maria

This is Maria. We trekked through Thailand a few years ago. This portrait was done from one of the photos taken while we were hiking through some caves there.

7x15 watercolor, ink, and gouache. #139

Maureen

This is Maureen. She is a kickass triathlete. I ride bikes with her occasionally and about once a year we end up racing against each other. She beats me bad on the swim but, if I'm having a good day, I might catch her on the bike. 

This portrait came about because I had this cardboard box from Blick Art Supply laying on the floor of my studio and thought it would be interesting to turn it into a portrait and get rid of it at the same time. Maureen just happened to be next in line.

18"x23" Gouache on cardboard.

Laurel

This is Laurel. I first met her when she was 4 years old. I offered her a chocolate brownie at a gathering of friends. She said; "No thank you' I don't eat chocolate." "What?!!", I thought, "a four year old that doesn't eat chocolate!?"

I met her beautiful and divorced mother later that day and we fell in love. We were together for a few years but life and circumstances pulled us in different directions. Fortunately, Laurel and I still keep in touch through the magic of Facebook.

9"x6" Watercolor, gouache, and spray paint on Fluid watercolor paper with Artrage.

Ed

This is Ed. He is the kind of friend we all hope to find and keep in our lives. I met him in the 7th grade in Houston, Texas. We performed "My Love is Alive" by Gary Wright in our school's annual talent show. He sang lead and played bass. I sang harmony and played guitar. We didn't win but we set the stage for a friendship that will last a lifetime.

12"x16" Gouache on Fluid watercolor paper.

Melanie

This is Melanie. I met her in the Dominican Republic in 2012 at an Urban Sketching conference. She has great style and energy and I love her art.

8"x12" Ink and Gouache on Fluid watercolor paper.