Soul Painting Allows Me To Capture Someone’s True Essence
Soul Paintings are a series of bright and powerful “blind contour” portraits. During my high school days in 2011, I first learned about blind contour drawing and practiced it a bit. It was not until 2018 where I took the idea to the next level and created Soul Paintings for hundreds of people at gallery events.
On a summer night in 2018, I participated in a Sunset Cruise with the East Norwalk Business Association in East Norwalk, CT. For the event, we invited over 50 people to buy tickets for the cruise including food, drinks and live music. One person on the cruise was Rene Soto of Rene Soto Gallery in Norwalk, CT. We have both heard about one another and when we finally met, we became great friends. Rene told me that at his gallery, they have monthly events and invited me to take part as an artist. I accepted, and the next month I joined a Rene Soto Gallery event.
At my first event, I thought it would be a great idea to bring my art supplies with me including oil pastels and paper, as well as a few completed paintings to showcase. Attendees came over to my table and I drew their blind contour portrait. Blind contour drawing is where an artist draws the contour of a subject without looking at the paper. Everyone who came over to my table enjoyed their portrait so much and I knew this was a big hit.
I continued to attend the gallery events each month and these Soul Paintings evolved over time. As it first began with only oil pastel on paper, I then added watercolors and it brought the portraits to life even more. I was drawing individual people, couples, friends and babies! At each event I was producing between 10-15 portraits for attendees and each piece took about 10 minutes to complete.
The amazing thing about this experience was with each person I was able to capture their true essence. As I drew people’s portraits some were a bit shy and looked away, and others were more comfortable and looked at me in my eyes as I was drawing them. The best was when we would both look down at the drawing when I was complete, and we were both surprised at the image. I would then complete the portrait with bright, vivid watercolors and each resembled each person in a unique way.
In a very short time, I became a permanent artist with Rene Soto Gallery known for my Soul Paintings. I am still so honored by this! I will continue painting wherever I may travel, meeting new people and creating their Soul Painting portraits.