What is in a face?
A portrait is a drawing, painting, photograph or engraving of a person, especially one depicting more likely the face or head and shoulders. It is a representation or impression of someone or something in a visual language that can be used to express an individual’s being.
“A face can tell a thousand stories, every line or expression telling its own tale of joy, pain, exhaustion, or exhilaration. What ever the story no matter small child or aged adult there can be many things learned from observing those around us.
History tells us that portraiture is a considerably old art form going back at least to ancient Egypt where it flourished from about 5000 years past. A painted, drawn, or sculpted portrait was the only way to record the appearance of someone, that is until photography came into existence. Portraits have always been more though that just a record, they were a way to express power, importance, virtue, beauty, wealth, taste, learning or other qualities of the subject. Although portraits were intended to flatter mostly, there were artists who refused this notion and often their work was rejected.
From those early times the art of portraying someone has become more. More than just a picture of a face, more than just a representation of a person, but a statement or expression, a story. When a tree is cut down you can tell its age by its rings, likewise our fingerprints specifically identify us by a unique pattern. Every face defines a person, tells their story and hints at the who or what drives them forward. That is if one takes the time to look.
What is hiding behind the eyes that water, or the smile that bears its teeth. What are their hopes and dreams, what drives them forward, where have they been, or where are they going? A portrait for this writer, can provoke so much intrigue and wonderment.
As an artist it is always a challenge to find the inspiration to create or be creative. It is more than just to sit and commit something to a medium. Being an artist, it is about contemplation and desire. A desire to say something, to reveal something beautiful, and share it with the world. Portraiture is this; a beautiful and expressive way to show someone’s story, or to give the viewer a glimpse into their world. What could be more spectacular?
Inspiration comes from those artists like Marcin Makilajczak who can paint a portrait in a manner that exudes expression and emotion through brush strokes and colour. Marcin has a special sensitivity to his portraiture that transports you to the subject’s world. His work is beautifully emotional and sensitive in the story it tells. As the audience, one is left in wonder, interested in the who, where and what about the person. As true as the saying, a look is worth a thousand words, so too is a wonderfully painted portrait.
“For more information on Marcin and his beautiful work please follow the link provided at the bottom.
Marcin Mikołajczak (born in 1975), avid traveler, photographer, and talented artist. Experience in conservatory works and numerous artistic experiments led to the development of his own unique painting technique that is used by the artist in the current phase of his creative activity. A clear surface structure of his paintings, the specific way in which the individual layers of paint are applied and the untypical application of color and light as well as the enthusiasm for the human being, for his emotions, are the trademark of Marcin Mikołajczak ‘s paintings that can’t be confused with works of any other artist.
In the search for colors and impressions, he enjoys travelling to exotic countries, especially to Asia and Africa, where he reaches places far from civilization; he captures there moving and unusual images with the camera and subsequently transfers them to the canvas with sensitivity that is characteristic for him.
It is the sensitivity that Marcin brings to his portraiture that brings it to life and tells the story. His visual story telling is inspirational and motivating to any artist aspiring to paint a beautiful portrait. There is a uniqueness to his style, which compliments the individuality of each of his subjects. Marcin is an artist worth exploring further which can be done as easily as googling his name or clicking here to find out more.
Inspiration comes in many forms and is relevant to every creative person. It is the fuel that motivates us as artists to do and make. Whatever or wherever that inspiration can be found, grab on to it, harness it and live in the moment of it, before it passes. Look forward to the moments when another artist manages to find his/her way into your artistic sights and take a moment to revel in their experience. Each of us will be better for drawing on our love of others as we venture forward on our own quest for success and creative domination.
1 Brief exerts taken from bio of Marcin Mikolazczak’s Bio at https://www.artmajeur.com/en/marcin-mikolajczak/presentation
