Category: Figurative Paintings

This is a painting of a candy seller and her daughter. 

Sometime ago, there were only a few migrants with young children wrapped around on their backs, selling candy from one New York City subway station to another. Then, the migrants arrived in thousands. Just in 2023, more than 100,000 migrants have arrived in New York City, and more to other cities. Unable to find legitimate work, migrants are struggling. 

Why did they leave everything behind and crossed the southern border? Faced with undeniable danger or the fantasies of utopia hidden beneath the complicated U.S. policies and politics, migrants have risked everything and traveled the dangerous path to cross the U.S. southern border. 

Today, securing the U.S. border is prioritized among other world crises. Many Americans don’t agree on securing the border. Some welcome the migrants, some don’t. Caught between these two ideas are real people who have become political pawns as the 2024 presidential election looms.

I have been painting bigger than ever this year. It’s one thing to painting something small and let it be cute and all, but I think when painting portraits, a painting brings a whole new feeling when it is life size.

I got around to finish 3 paintings today:

Portrait of Paul, which I had been working for the past 3 weeks. A painting for a competition that I had been working on for some time. And this portrait of Steve, which I worked on it after completing Paul’s Portrait.

I had initially painted the entire painting with raw umber, and I thought about stopping there, but with two 20 minute sessions remaining, I decided to put colors. The images shown were taken after each 20 minute sessions.

There are many ways to begin painting with oil, but I like to simply begin painting, drawing with oil, rather than spending whole lot of time using charcoal or pencil.

I might make a composition sketch and/or color study, but when I am ready, I simply begin to paint and adjust as I go.

More than ever, I have grown to enjoy painting fast, but for the mostly, I spend about 2 to 3 weeks on a painting. It’s fair to say that I enjoy painting slow, too.

Two weeks later

Three weeks later

After intense 2 weeks of painting, I focused on fine-tuning the painting. Although the photo doesn’t capture all the changes, this portrait has gone through multiple surgeries this week… can you spot all the changes from the previous week?

After years of painting, I conclude that it takes really long time to see.

Moreover, it takes even more time to mix that color.

This is why I usually paint a small color study—from a live model—before embarking on a bigger painting.

And, what we often fail to understand about painting is its chemistry.

Paint is made of all different parts of earth: soil, minerals, precious metals, oil, etc.

To paint seriously means one also needs to have a thorough understanding of chemistry of colors, painting surfaces, and time.

Many of my portraits from life are executed over consecutive days and weeks. This one, however, was done in just a few hours, and is one of my favorite from this year.

Related Things To Do in NYC

Speaking of painting from life, If you are in NYC, go see the Met Exhibition, Manet/Degas. There are some exceptional paintings from both painters.

On view: September 24, 2023–January 7, 2024

Oil on Canvas

40 inches x 30 inches