June 2011

Acrylic portrait on panel by Steve Eichenberger, 11-5/8 x 14-3/8 SOLD

I completed this portrait in a homestead farmhouse in Nebraska while on a road trip through several beautiful Western states last month. When I returned home, I e-mailed the above photo of it to the subject, who is an artist friend in Seattle; here’s what he had to say about it: “OK I am really speechless, or was, but now have more to say.  That is really, really cool – almost Van Gogh-like in the colors and contrasts.  I  am thrilled to see this as I have never had a painting done of me and to tell you the truth would not trust many artists to do a painting of me as I am pretty shy about having pictures, images of me taken.  Fantastic work!  Can I show off your work to people? … I’ll be following your blog.”

I took the above reference photo in my studio with natural north light, positioning the subject to get just the right amount of light on his right eye.

Custom portrait commission, approx. 16 x 22 acrylic on panel by Steve Eichenberger.

This was fun to do because it was a surprise commission for the recipient (the subject). I hear he was honored.

The symbology has to do with his middle name, which connotes strength and deep-rootedness. A large underpainted root system (not evident in the photo) can be seen in the dark lower section when viewing the original if you know it’s there, further supporting the symbology of C’s middle name.