Stephen Janton, portraits in oils
I am a realist painter who enjoys the challenge of painting the human form. I have been so influenced and impressed by the Old Masters, the Dutch Little Masters and the best of the French academic painters of the nineteenth century. They carried oil painting to its highest pinnacle of technical perfection. In addition, having grown up in Wilmington Delaware, I was exposed to the Brandywine School and the artists Pyle, the entire Wyeth family and my friend and guide George Weymouth.
Portraiture and the human form have always been my main interest and I have developed a good
sense of form during my many years studying and working as a Physical Therapist. My works in still life and landscapes tend to be more experimental with a sense of realism. I attempt painting what is real to me, what I see.
In doing a portrait, I enjoy finding the composition that best describes the individual’s personality and I include the person being painted in that process which makes for a more successful outcome. I frequently utilize the technique of a single light source in my portraits as it helps create greater depth. I rely primarily on the techniques of traditional oil painting but have tested my deepest level of patience by painting in egg tempera and appreciate the quality of skin tones created by the unique process.
Artwork should stand on its own merits or fail on its own shortcomings if it does not succeed in registering favorably upon the viewer’s sensibilities. Quality is the central issue, as it must be where art is concerned. I am doing my best and enjoying the process in my attempts at creating quality in my artwork.
Stephen Janton
Jan 30, 2012