Everywhere you look you are likely to see faces. And those faces will be seeing your face as well. If you’re not seeing faces, then maybe you are a prisoner and you’re in solitary confinement. Or maybe you’re in one those isolated spots on the face of the planet without people, electricity or, heaven forbid, a connection to the Internet.

Well since you are reading this column, then we know you have electricity, or at least a battery-powered mobile internet connection, and more than likely you’re not incarcerated. Ergo, you are a person in the world and you see faces all the time.

So to continue our discussion, let’s start with these two images of one man’s face. Can you identify him? Probably he looks kind of familiar to you but you can’t quite dredge up his name. I could tell you his name - Armin Shimerman, and quite likely that brings a thought to some of you. But if I press a few keys on my computer I’ll locate another picture of him to show you …

…well now, that makes all the difference in the world or should I say space, doesn’t it. This is the face of Quark. It is also the face of actor Armin Shimerman after he’s placed himself in the hands of a make-up artist who was employed by the producers of the television series: Deep Space 9.

I  showed you this face so you would all take note of the fact that all of our faces are the results of either the gene pool of our parents and all of their ancestors, or have been enhanced by the work of a skilled surgeon, or like Quark, assembled by the creative imaginations of artists  and technicians of many different kinds.

Braids and Bows by Carrie Ballantyne

Today we will look at a sub-category of the art world called portraits. Just so you can see some more faces. The beauty of these faces is that were created by an artist. Our first artist is Carrie Ballantyne, who grew up in the Los Angeles area. Carrie has said, ” I never tire of the human face, there is nothing more fascinating, for this artist. And the people of the West still intrigue me the most.”

Shantel by Carrie Ballantyne

Her mediums have been graphite pencil, charcoal, and conte crayon. Or she’s used colored pencils on sanded pastel paper.

Colleen by Carrie Ballantyne

Recently, she taken up oil painting. But whatever she’s used the result are so very special.  And one more (below) before we move on to another artist.

 

Shantel of Shoshone by Carrie Ballantyne

Our next artist is Ann Hanson who was born in Bremerton, Washington, which is about an hour by Ferry across Puget Sound from Seattle. Ann grew up in rural Wyoming.  She’s been working as an artist since 1986. She has said of her work, “The people and scenes I paint are my friends, family and neighbors doing what they do every day. The ‘Wild West’ may be a thing of the past, but cowboys are alive and well here.”

Hombre by Ann Hanson

Fittingly, the first of her works which we shall show you is this cowboy. The painting is called Hombre. You can almost feel the stubble of his beard, and you can see the wear and tear of some of the leather. It is a great piece.

Fiddler by Ann Hanson

The next one is called Fiddler. I’ll bet you can image her right foot tapping, and you can see in your mind’s eye, some sawdust on the floor.

Jennifer by Ann Hanson

Brown Eyes Blue by Ann Hanson

And the last two by Hanson are Jennifer (the blond above top) and Brown Eyes Blue below that one. Hanson’s portraits are rich in color as well as detail. For example, in each of the above, half of the subjects’ faces are in the shadow. And in Jennifer, we can see plenty of dirt and dust from the trails on Jen’s hat.

Kevin Red Star

How about a change of pace? Do you like this portrait by Kevin Red-Star (above). Though it is completely different in style than any of the works on this page, it is no less powerful.

PowWow Singer by James Bama

We now offer two by James Bama who last graced our pages back around Thanksgiving in 2008. Above is PowWow Singer and Below is Young Plains Indian. Note how the paintings are without a background which serves to make the images even more dramatic.

Young Plains Indian by James Bama

Eagle Hawk by M.C.Poulsen

Artist M.C.Poulsen is also noted for the strength and ruggedness of his portraits. He grew up in Wyoming and the open spaces taught him much about life and how it is often harsh. His portraits are reflective of his own trials and the determination it took to get through them. EagleHawk is above. Kindred Spirits is below, as is Mystic Warrior.

Kindred Spirits by M.C.Poulsen

Mystic Warrior by M.C.Poulsen

Don’t Fence Me in by Krystii Melaine

Our last artist in this discussion is Krystii Melaine. Her works aren’t really about faces, Maybe I should rephrase that to say – not really about just faces. In the four Melaine works shown here, each is about a man and a horse.

Appaloosa Horse by Krystii Melaine

Often a man and a horse are inseparable partners. And they just seem to go to together.

Fall Gold by Krystii Melaine

Krystii grew up in Victoria, Australia. Her passion for her art and for life is undeniable. Her works are rich in color and detail, and are full of the vibrancy of the moment.

Storm Front by Krystii Melaine

Well, it’s time to close the topic down. I’ll leave you with this famous image -

That’s Bogie with his co-star in Casablanca, Ingrid Bergman. His words, “Here’s looking at you kid…”