With the advent of selfie images from smartphones and cameras set atop tripods on timers, along with photographic images printed on large canvases and made to resemble paintings, one might think that the art and skill of actual portrait painting has become obsolete. 
Not so. Though a photographic image may be beautiful in its own right, a painting is an original piece of art, of which there exists no other just like it. Each brush stroke is made with the utmost care and consideration of the artist. A portrait painting is an artistic interpretation attempting to capture the essence of the subject. It takes time to complete, but is an invaluable treasure that will become a family heirloom to be enjoyed for generations to come.
As an artist, what inspires me to create is a fascination for light, shadow, color, and the intermingling of the aforementioned to create form and mood. Above all else, what drives me to create is emotion. In order to feel that emotion, and capture the subject’s essence, it is helpful to meet with the individual and learn a bit about him/her. At the choice of the client, I can either paint the subject from life or from a photograph. Though some artists prefer to get to know their subjects and spend considerable time with them, I know this is impractical. Therefore, a photo session or two will suffice.
I generally create one of two types of portrait paintings: 1) a head and shoulder, a three-quarter length or full figure, in which the individual is posed against a simple background; or 2) a genre painting in which an individual may be posed doing something he/she would be doing in their everyday life. An example of the latter would be a study of an individual working in their garden, reading to a child in their favorite easy chair, playing baseball against a backdrop of a ball field, fishing off a pier or a boat, etc. Either type of study makes a beautiful painting.