define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true); define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true); creatively done – Gary Whitley Illustration https://www.gary-whitley.com Creating art that swims, soars and roars. Thu, 12 Sep 2019 17:57:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.3 https://i1.wp.com/www.gary-whitley.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/whitleyWeb-logoT.gif?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 creatively done – Gary Whitley Illustration https://www.gary-whitley.com 32 32 141942431 https://www.gary-whitley.com/wp-content/plugins/squirrly-seo/view/css/feed.css
The portrait creatively done. https://www.gary-whitley.com/the-portrait-creatively-done/ https://www.gary-whitley.com/the-portrait-creatively-done/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2018 20:16:15 +0000 http://www.gary-whitley.com/?p=954

Beaver family portrait by Gary Whitley

“I tell my customers, ‘If it’s a photographic likeness you want, you need to go to a photographer.’ I’ve never had a customer walk away when I say these words.”

—Brenda Behr

This is a portrait I did of my daughter and her family a couple of years ago. They wanted something different for a family portrait so they are all painted as greek gods and goddesses. Well, except for the dog—he’s just a knucklehead.

The funny thing is the process started with a frame. They had a really nice picture frame but didn’t like the print that was in it so I painted this.

On top left is my daughter as Aphrodite – Roman name: Venus. Top right is my son-in-law as Ares – Roman name: Mars. Bottom right is my granddaughter as Artemis – Roman name: Diana. Bottom middle is their dog Rat as Ratticus Prime. Bottom left is my granddaughter as Athena –  Roman name: Minerva.

Portraits can be tricky sometimes. Like listening to our own recorded voices and thinking it doesn’t sound like us, occasionally the subject thinks it doesn’t capture them. But everyone who knows them sees the painting and recognizes them immediately. That’s where these quotes come from:

-to a sitter’s complaint that his portrait was not a great work of art…
“Perhaps not, but then you can’t call yourself a great work of nature.”

—James Abbott McNeill Whistler

-said while being asked by a woman to do some ‘improvements’ here and there…

“Madam, I am a painter, not a plastic surgeon.”

—Alan Wylie

While you’re here, check out the rest of my website and my art on the homepage. Then please like, comment, share this post and follow me on Facebook!

]]> https://www.gary-whitley.com/the-portrait-creatively-done/feed/ 4 954