Louis I Kahn

[Garth Herrick]

Originally Posted by Marcus Lim

Seeing this thread's contributions, the emotions that run through it especially from Enzie, got me thinking about my own portrait projects.
I don't know how many people think of us as "Legacy Whisperers" (permit me to coin the phrase from the TV show Ghost Whisperers")
I mean, people may take it for granted that portrait work for the living, is about its beauty and its uniqueness.

But it's the posthumous ones that remind us, each portrait carries an undying charisma and emotion that can help portrait commissioners, to deliver their message to their future generations, be it from their own family or from the community.

I believe we should be deeply proud that we're born to have this gift to do this for others.

A great quote is born. ^^^^^^

Thanks Marcus! I should print and frame that.

Garth

[Marcus Lim]

hmm...maybe i should get Hallmark cards to print it for "Inspiring Sad Portrait Artists" series of cards...LOL!

[Alexandra Tyng]

Thanks, Marcus, that's really thought-provoking. Something for the would-be "commissioners" to contemplate. I think the intent is really the same, whether the person we are painting is alive or dead. We try to capture the movement and the expression and the spark of animation on the canvas so the portrait will carry on to give future generations a glimpse of the whole aura and feeling of this particular individual. It's a lot of extra work to create a posthumous portrait, and the references are usually bad and frustrating, but if we can pull it off, then it has this quality. I was SO nervous about people's reaction when it was unveiled. My own brother hadn't ever seen it, because he was away while I was painting it (actully I could have used him as a model). After it was unveiled, an architect came up to me and said that my father spoke to him as he was standing in front of it! I thought,
"Well, at least it spoke to one person. That's encouraging." You might say I was cautiously positive.