Decorative Portraits

These were made as housewarming gifts for my girlfriend (top), her dog, and her new roommate, a close friend. I don't know why, but I had the idea of painting in grayscale; portraits with some contrasted lighting, some bold shapes, in an expressive & loose manner with a bit of an oriental feel and a representational yet 'splashy' look. I think they turned out okay... I could work on some more and attempt better results. I think often what we create is the child of our mistakes and tendencies or habits. These were fun to do, and a real test of NOT exaggerating. Each one took less than an hour and is 5"x7".