From years of experience as a painter and a professional photo retoucher I have developed extensive knowledge of the human face and a virtuoso skill of capturing a person's likeness while making them look as good as possible. Combining this ability with my gesturely style of painting puts a fresh twist on the tradition of portrait painting.

The portraits are created from photographs I shoot using natural light, preferably from a window. I then edit the photos when necessary in photoshop and create a digital print for reference. Next, I return to the conventional studio practice of sketching the subject onto a panel with pencil and finally painting the subject in oils by hand.

When using adults as my subject I like to use a simple gray background to draw attention to the subject’s likeness and physical characteristics. When painting children I try to be less somber and use bright colors for the background.

The dimensions are 11 x 14 inches. Portraits are available on commission. Feel free to contact me for an estimate.

- Monica