I Photograph Dancers And Turn Them Into Abstract Digital Paintings

I’ve been a photographer for nearly 10 years. I received a BFA in photography from SCAD some years ago. The majority of my adult life has centered around photography, and specifically dance photography, but I wasn’t always a photographer. In my childhood I was an illustrator, a painter, and a sculptor. In fact, I didn’t begin photography until after high school. As such, I often times miss the tactile quality of carving wood or hammering metal. I miss putting pencil to paper and creating something from nothing. Photography is a very different medium than ‘traditional arts’ and it has left a bit of a void in my creative life.

Early this year I decided to reconnect with my old artistic self and began sketching again. Then, as I have always wanted to do, I began painting digitally. I watched tutorials and examined some of my favorite works, and began with simple drawing/painting exercises in photoshop.

After a few digital sketches, I opened up an old dance photo of mine and started painting on it. The concept evolved from not only a desire to draw and paint again, but also a desire to combine my dance photography with other things I enjoy, like landscape photography.

These paintings, which I call ‘The Synthesis Project’, quickly took on a life of their own. The end result is not something I planned.

Each painting evolves in its own way as I create them. I start with a photograph, turn on some music, maybe drink some whisky, and just start painting. Eventually an idea/concept/emotion develops and I try to focus on it and let it guide the rest of the piece.

Since I began these paintings in January, each one has become increasingly complex and more refined. The latest, Synthesis No.20 (the top triptych), is 19x39in, contains over 50 layers, and took 29 days to complete.

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