Ojibwe dancer's portrait

Anishinaabe, 16X20, oil/linen

Eyes Closeup




Feather Closeup

Hi Everyone,

Here is a painting I did of an Ojibwe dancer I came across at a pow wow last year. He was always smiling and seemed to know everyone there. As I was taking photos, I was lucky enough to get some serious expressions. I had a very clear idea in my head of what I wanted this painting to look like. That's not always the case. His face paint and porky roach was an important part of this one, but like so many portraits, the eyes tell the tale. So I made the background simple and neutral. The area around his eyes are the sharpest and most clearly defined. I enjoyed doing this one, getting lost in the painting of the different edges and textures. Feathers, beads, skin. They all have their own unique edges, and therefore their own unique brushwork. I always start with the face and usually can tell if a painting is going to work for me pretty early on. Though, sometimes you can't tell which areas of a painting will give you trouble. I swear, I wish I had a nickle for everytime I thought a difficult passage was going to trip me up, only to the tough part paint itself and have the simple parts derail. Well, that keeps me on my toes anyways.

The name of the painting, "Anishinaabe" is an Ojibwe word. In the language of the Ojibwe, "Anishinaabe" (pronounced Ah•NISH•in•AH•bay) means "one of the people," "original people," or "original man." "Anishinabe" is how the Ojibwe people identified themselves. I felt it was the perfect name for these noble and honorable Native Americans.

Steve

Thanks for looking, Steve