Artist: María Sparrow

Drawing from the work of Alice Neel and Frida Kahlo in particular, these explorations of portraiture in oil investigate acts of witnessing and representation. Neel and Kahlo's work resonates for their use of observation, expressiveness, and sensitivity to color. In this ongoing portrait series, I am similarly more interested in capturing a person's presence than in realism. Temperature, light, and gesture are all concerns here. Also: the temporary, the fleeting, the ephemeral.