Boy w/the Torn Hat
by Thomas Sully
About my work as an artist:
I was in 2nd grade when I drew my first portrait. The assignment every Friday was to try to copy a print of one of the old master’s works. It's funny when I think about it now. . .attempting to copy a 8"x10" print of a Rembrandt or Degas with Crayola crayons One day the assignment was ‘Boy with the Torn Hat’ by Thomas Sully. I vividly remember the feeling I had that I understood how to shade a nose, mouth and eyes. I quickly captured the image with my Crayola crayons and felt I had found my 'niche'. I remember thinking ‘I’ve drawn faces before’. After that I began drawing faces constantly.
By the time I was in high school, I noticed that when I painted a portrait, an expression would come across in the face that I had no way of controlling. Sometime the expressions were quite revealing. It frightened me. I actually stopped painting for a number of years as I felt I had no control over what appeared on the canvas. Once I learned that what I was doing was channeling, and that I could bring in higher energies by cleansing and working with the angels, I was able to paint again.
When I paint a commissioned portrait, the first thing I do is interview the client to discern what the objective for the portrait is. . .is it to help a child with their self-esteem, or to uncover hidden strengths and talents. Perhaps it is to bring a sense of well-being or remembrance after someone has passed on.
Soul Portraits
This is a very special portrait that encorporates symbols, totems, archtypes and angels with the image of the subject. If possible, I take a number of photos of the subject. If that is not possible, I like to work from a selection of photos. Once I have the photos, I meditate to tune into the energy of the subject. During this process I pick up on energies the client is working with and bring them into the painting.
A 25% downpayment is required to begin work on a portrait. Once the downpayment is made, I have permission to channel the energies.
Contact Nannette to set an appointment or consultation at: n_champeau@yahoo.com or 920/839-5343