This portait of an african child carrying a wash basin while eating a popsicle was done under the guidance of my mentor Earl B. Lewis based on one of his photos from his travels to Africa. I believe the beauty of this piece is in the intrigue from the boy's intense stare which provokes the thought "What is he thinking?"
Blacksmith was completed in 2018, in my 2nd or 3rd year practicing watercolor painting. It was an assignment given to me by mentor eb lewis who took the reference photo. It was my most ambitious piece at the time due to the level of detail and complexity.
In a Jamaican context I think this piece is special because a blacksmith at work isn't something we see everyday. Visually I chose to make the shadows almost pitch black removing any distractions and pointing the viewer to the light areas filled with wet in wet paint marks on the walls. I learnt dry brushing, a technique used to create the grainy textures of the floor and woodworking tools.
For me it's a milestone piece that marked the start of my journey in exploring more complex scenery and it's still one of my favorites.
My first ever watercolor commission. This watercolor portrait commission was the result of my client seeing a pencil portrait I had done of a friend and they just had to commission a portrait themself. Like many of my portraits this was presented to the model in the painting as a gift and they loved it.
This watercolor portrait was commissioned as a gift for a friend of his parents. It was very special seeing their reaction to the pieces. Many of my portrait commission clients remark at how accurate the likeness is to their family and friends while still capturing those special qualities of the moment in time captured in the reference photo.
My friend Tori agreed to be a model for this watercolor painting. I stumble upon a rare piece of open land in Jack's Hill, Kingston Jamaica that was perfect for this piece and the painting has become a history piece of sorts as the land is now occupied by apartment buildings and the natural surroundings have been built over.