I’ve been heavily influenced lately by the artist Chuck Close. He is best known for painting enormous realistic portraits from photos using a grid method. To create his paintings, Close puts a grid on the photo and on the canvas and meticulously copies the image cell by cell. I’ve employed this similar approach, except I’ve taken my images further away from realism. I’ve attempted to combine the Chuck Close’s technique with textures and techniques of my own. I’ve also chosen to work with small and medium-size canvases in order to achieve an abstract aesthetic when seen at a close distance. However, when the painting is seen at about 100 feet, a striking portrait comes in to full view.