Eyes that look right through you ...
Acrylic on masonite, 13 1/4 x 25 in (2007)

We are often captivated by a person's eyes. For example, we have the the famous blue eyes of Paul Newman, the early seventies mascara look championmed by Karen Black, the Frank Sinatra moniker "Ole Blue Eyes", and of course, the Billie Joe Armstrong look of Green Day.

Eyes are also taken as windows to the soul, so be careful where you look, and prepare yourself for what you may find. Some people just have a gaze, that uniqueness of eye shape, colour, lash length and many other Estée Lauder features that I do not even know about.

Like everything else, you should mainatin a healthy skepticism about what you see. It's a good place to start as many things begin with the eyes, and if interesting, the other senses can begin their turns.

As a bit of esoterica, I typically paint backgrounds first, subject next and in portraiture, the eyes last. Sometimes I break this rule and paint the eyes first, creating a kind of illusive relationship with the work.

Please do not reproduce the images in this display.
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