Grey Cube Gallery proudly presents the first Faces online art show for the month of October 2020. The show encompassed a range of artistic styles and mediums (photography, digital, mixed media, oil on canvas, acrylic, oil on linen, ink, graphite, scratchboard, collage, watercolor, pastel). Each submission has been judged based on the following elements of artistic expression: orginality and quality of art, overall design, creativity, interpretation of the theme, demonstration of artistic ability and usage of medium. Out of all entries, 114 artworks were shortlisted for inclusion in the show. The competition attracted entries from many countries across the world: USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, China, Brazil, Austria, Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Malaysia, Taiwan, Poland, Norway, Spain, France, Japan, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Georgia. Enjoy the show and thank you for expressing an interest in our competition.

The fundamental aspect of my art lies in the thoughts and feelings that come in response to direct personal experiences. Every drawing or painting inevitably has something to do with the individual; it’s not simply about what is being depicted in and of itself. There are innumerable things one can choose to paint, that is, the objects themselves; but the underlying purpose of creating has to do with conveying something about why those objects inspire attention in the first place. The greater the connection, the more insightful the work will be, the more truth it will reveal, and not just about the thing painted but about the artist as well.

I am a realist (not in my painting!!!) through and through, apolitical and not moralizing. This realism, which tends less to depict reality than to establish it, rejects any emphasis and any dramatic sensation or satirical intention in a work of art. They are authentic creations, separate from the abstract and from what might be contemptuously called illustrative. The supposedly realistic image creations are not simple representations of a depictable reality, but always reconstructions that go beyond mere experience. I try to represent the found or invented motif in such a way that I, as an artist, give the viewer the feeling of encountering a new reality that has more weight than just a picture.

I like to make pictures. I usually work small. I want the piece to pull the viewer closer in order to discover what might be happening. Viewers often point out the "light touch" in my draftsmanship, and many are drawn to "the eyes". And now with covered faces, the eyes hold even more importance as windows to the personality. Sometimes the picture has a message, but I don't overtly propagandize. Sometimes the picture pulls up memories, but I am not a nostalgist. Styles come and go, emotions do not. My pictures are basically a record of a fleeting moment. I often appropriate old photos, because human expression is timeless. The viewer can feel a connection when they can relate to the experience depicted. Previously, a roll of 24 exposures was a precious commodity, carefully rationed for special people and events. Now people click countless digital images, and just as effortlessly forget about them. In previous generations, photos were valued, but as those people have gone, the remaining photos fall through the cracks. From flea markets to the internet, there are decades of these forgotten photos. I revive some of those images, the people or their situations, as part of my art.

Receiving a BFA Degree from Parson’s School of Design, I have been an oil painter in the Portland, OR area for over 30 years. My paintings are large scale and representational. I spent most of my career making a name for myself as a painter focused on urban landmarks, most notably bridges. After many years as a distant observer of man-made forms, I am now drawn to depicting the human form. I create portraiture and figurative works occasionally using the red and blue flood lights. Giving the unusual dynamics of the way light is reflected on the figure, it is fascinating how this lighting brings out each subject’s emotional undertones, allowing their natures to rise to the surface. My technique mimics the old masters, shifting the style to a contemporary ambience through careful and expressive brushstrokes.