What drives me to portraiture?

[Lon Haverly]

It has to be the human element of drawing from life. I can draw for people twelve hours
a day and not be tired. I go to work happily anticipating the day. It is the rush of drawing
someone who is sitting before me, anticipating the outcome. It is the joy of the crowd
which gathers and feeds my adrenaline. It is the self imposed time limit - the limit of the
live model, who really is not a model, but an active child, or a blushing teenage girl, or a
macho guy who you are able to cause to crack a vulnerable smile. It is bringing joy to those who think that my work is an amazing gift of God. It is inspiring a young child who loves to crowd my elbows and watch me draw. It is capturing in a few moments the same glory that a parent thought only he saw in their child

[Cynthia Daniel]

What a wonderful expression of passion and purpose. I love it!

[Margaret Elvin]

Very touching and honest, Lon. I admire your ability to paint in the conditions that you do. I'm just the opposite though, needing lots of uninterrupted solitude to paint. In general, I don't like people watching me - it makes me self-conscious and awkward.

In essence, I love to paint portraits because I love people. When I can grasp a person's unique beauty, interpret it with paint and see it emerge on the paper or canvas, I am thrilled. Every time.

For me, an unusual intimacy with the person occurs while I'm painting or drawing, even from photos. It's like I have to understand this person in order to paint her or him. And I do. I feel a deep connection to human nature that I take as a gift.

I also just like the process of painting and drawing...being able to take my time with all the nuances of color and form and expression that make up the person I see. It's meditative and relaxing for me.

I like the fact that there is always more I can learn. I like the open-endedness of that.

It seems that I've said a lot, but perhaps left even more unsaid. It's a complex question, why we paint. I look forward to reading others' responses.

Good topic, Lon.
-Margaret