New Head Studies at the National Academy

I recently did a series of quick head studies in oil from live models. I kept things loose and abstract, combining impasto with smooth passages, but also tried to retain a sense of light and form.

Perhaps I was thinking of British artist Paul Wright, who said:

Whilst I appreciate the importance of the individual being recognisable, [my] subjects are glimpsed rather than exposed, their inner selves hinted at but ultimately inscrutable.... The spaces the subjects inhabit are often indeterminate, providing an atmosphere that allows for ambiguity of psychological state. The subjects retain their integrity and yet a sense of intimacy is evoked.

I think this exploration of formal versus expressive concerns is reflected in the work of many contemporary artists whom I follow, and whose painterly idioms continue to provide inspiration for my own work.