An artist’s primary objective in painting a portrait should be to create a work that reflects the SUBJECT'S image of himself or herself in his or her finest hour. In painting a landscape or a still life, I can follow my own whim, and if others appreciate the work and wish to buy it, great. If not, that’s fine too. But portraiture is a different kettle of fish. A portrait commission is akin to a fiduciary obligation. While my artistic vision and talents are essential to the process, I understand that I am not painting the portrait for myself but for another, and the true measure of whether I have accomplished my goal is the enthusiastic acceptance of the work by my client.

In portraiture, I begin with a preliminary discussion with my client as to the general scope of the project. Sometimes, the client will wish to have the portrait based on an existing photograph. This will necessarily be true if the subject is deceased. In other cases, the initial discussion with the client will be followed by a photoshoot, generally involving two cameras operating at the same time and lasting an hour or two. The photoshoot will result in hundreds of pictures of the subject in various poses, from various angles, with various backgrounds, sometimes in various outfits, and in various lights. In reviewing with the client the wealth of material resulting from the photoshoot, I will offer my artistic opinion on the most effective choices for likeness, pose and composition, and may supplement the photographic material with painted mock-ups of possible portrait compositions. The final decisions, however, as to likeness, pose and composition, will be made by the client. Unlike a portrait based on a series of sittings, where the subject is a passive participant and the artist is largely in charge of the operation, a portrait based on an existing photograph or on a photoshoot affords the subject an active role and gives him or her substantial control over how the portrait will ultimately look, assuring the greatest likelihood that the portrait, when finished, will meet or exceed the client’s expectations.

In portraiture, the true test of client satisfaction is repeat commissions, and the repeat commissions I have received from portrait clients convince me that my approach to portrait painting is sound. Frequently, after painting a portrait of one member of a family, I am commissioned to paint other family members. Two clients have commissioned six portraits of family members. Another client has commissioned nine portraits. And still another has commissioned a total of twenty portraits that hang in venues in the United States and Europe.