Portrait painting is something I have done in the past and did in art school. I moved to photography while in art school, I used photography to create references for painting – my original major was design/new media. I changed a few times as a lot of artists do and ended up with a photography major. In 2008, in the midst of economic downturn I started my wedding and portrait photography. It has been a fun ride and I am not stopping but I am moving toward portrait painting as a focus in my business. The first reason – I love photography and painting but the photographic industry has become oversaturated. Everyone knows at least one “professional” (read: amateur) photographer – most people know more. Cameras have become affordable and many people think they can make a quick buck or even start their own studio. I got an art degree because I love art and that is my path in life – I have always worked in the design field. My first jobs were at printing presses and then design and I have always been involved in art and design. Twenty years in art with two degrees. I am wise enough to see that photography is something a lot of people want to do, it is accessible and social media drives it. I love photography but I also love other pursuits. Painting is a big one.
So. I never actually gave the first reason – there is too much competition and not enough demand. While in painting, you must spend years learning it and most people get into photography because the think (incorrectly) that it is something they can just pick up and now they have a job. It’s not. So, the person out to find a photographer must sort through hundreds of photographers in their area. You need luck and word of mouth to really get out there. The second reason is 99% of photographic decisions and most purchases for a home are made by women. It’s hard to compete with other women in their field. I have done it for four years and I am pretty good at it. So, I have decided to move to painting. I am still remaining in photography, I love it but I do it for my passion, not for the dollar.
So painting it is. It’s an evolution fusing the digital world of photography and my traditional artistic skill. Here is a painting of Kara. It is almost finished 
I rarely put finished work up because when I think about posting work, it’s halfway done – when I finish it – it’s time to give it to a client which is sometimes difficult to do. A lot of my time is invested in painting and it’s not like I made it for someone else… which I did.. I painted it for me because I love to paint… and it’s pretty much that simple.
Nearly finished painting of Kara
