Although I've photographed painter Vince Walsh in several settings a few years ago (see earlier blog posts), I recently asked him to sit for me for a more posed portrait as well as for a little bit of an experiment. For the portrait above, we met at Vince's classroom at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts. I asked him to bring some of the books he feels are important to him as well as a painting that represents his work. If you talk to Vince, you know that he is serious about learning and will tell you about the books he's read to improve his ability to paint and to teach other aspiring artists. I felt that including some of his books in the portrait would let the viewer know a little more about Vince.
The painting you see in the photo above is called, "Beauty Close to Home." It was painted at Klein Ranch. When I asked Vince why he chose that painting to bring to the photo shoot, he said, "The painting was done spontaneously and fearlessly...it was a meditative journey in observation." Vince reduced less important details to "capture the mood and essential elements of nature." He noted, "It was a painterly painting." (I should say that the photo above was intended to be a portrait of Vince, so I was not focused on getting an accurate representation of his painting. Since the photo has lots of shadow, the colors in the painting are not shown clearly.) The next day, Vince met me at my house where I was desperately trying to learn how to use my new studio lights to create a more dramatic photo of Vince's hands. At one of our previous outdoor photo shoots, Vince had forgotten his paintbrushes, but he didn't seem too concerned. He said something like, "I think I could paint with twigs as long as I have my spray bottle." I wanted to see if I could photograph him holding a paintbrush and twigs in a way that would be interesting. Unfortunately, I didn't get a good arrangement for the twigs, and I thought the resulting images weren't that strong. However, I did like the photo below. I know that portraiture traditionally shows a person's face and usually includes the eyes. I feel though that portraiture can be broader so long as the image conveys something important about the subject and creates a psychological connection with the viewer. Vince has quite interesting hands, and I wanted to bring them to the attention of the viewer.
8 Comments
Debbie Jones
12/12/2021 12:08:03 pm
This is wonderful!
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Janet Hardie
12/13/2021 12:05:24 am
Knowing Vince for a few years now I have to say he is one of the most knowledgeable artists I know. This portrait of his hands with brushes speaks to his love and dedication to his art.
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6/3/2022 04:18:45 pm
I agree with Janet. Vince one of most serious painters I know.
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12/13/2021 08:36:32 am
Vince is a fantastic painter so great to see him featured and a portrait done of him and his hands that make such wonders!
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Bonnie Danielson
5/24/2022 01:48:27 pm
Vincent's father had tough working man's hands...and now Vincent, his youngest child, has become an artist with hands creating beauty, strong but with a touch of magic. His father Mike would be Amazed and so proud.
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Aoife Ni Thuairisg
5/26/2022 01:57:29 pm
My mom Maureen (Vincent’s cousin) sent me this article and asked me whose hands Vincent’s reminded me of. Immediately I said my Grandfathers hands- Cóil- Vincent’s uncle. What a beautiful article and photos . We were so happy to see those hands again💙 best wishes from Connemara Galway Ireland, Aoife & Maureen
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chella gonsalves
6/3/2022 04:21:34 pm
This portrait of Vince is true, delightful and enlightening.
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |