The windows of the soul -by Bee K C Tan

I have been an observer of faces for a very long time but only recently have I been painting portraits in earnest. Having worked in the medical profession where I met people from all walks of life daily has helped hone my skills of observation.  Through the portraits that I have painted in the past, I am astounded at how unique each person’s face is. When painting a portrait, I try hard not only to attain a likeness to my subject but also project the person, or at least what I perceive to be the essence of the person. Vincent Van Gogh said,”Ah! Portraiture, portraiture with the thought, the soul of the model in it, that is what I think must come.”

Portrait of a baby by Bee K C Tan                              based on photo from Sktchy

Asta & Maisie, watercolour by Bee K C Tan

That desired outcome not at all easy to attain. I found this out as I embarked on My 100 portraits in 100 days project on 1st November 2017. I initially used photographs from an app called Sktchy on my iPad for inspiration, of people whom I did not know personally nor have I ever met. I tried to glean what little information I could find about them but mostly relied on my subjective impression of that single photograph. However I much prefer to know a bit more about my subjects, and better still to meet them in person, and to paint from life.

Self portrait by Bee K C Tan

“The portrait is one of the most curious art forms. It demands special qualities in the artist, and an almost total kinship with the model.” – Henri Matisse

“Seeing likeness in a portrait is to recognize the craftsman in the artist. Finding soul is to discover the artist in the craftsman.” – Bernard Poulin.

“In a sense, every work you do is a self portrait because your paintings always reveal more about you than about your subject. Your experience of something, not the something itself, is the true underlying subject of every work you do.” – Richard Schmid.