These large paintings, on 36 x 36 and 30 x 30-inch canvases,
feature close-up images of a young girl and an old man. Their
faces are covered in vibrant yellow paint, which highlights the
differences that time has wrought on their faces. The bright paint
draws further attention to the old man’s beard, which has gone
completely grey, and the furrow lines along his brow and cheeks.
Where his eyes seem to narrow, knowingly — his countenance
level with the viewers, seeming to read their faces as they take in
his — the girl’s wide eyes look slightly up to meet the audience’s
gaze. Her expression signals curiosity, confidence and a twinge
of defiance. On her youthful face, the yellow paint enhances the
smoothness of her skin, absent of wrinkles.
Both of these images were inspired by old black-and-white
Nikon ads that Davis found in an issue of National Geographic. He
later developed the subjects’ body paint and jewelry from his own
extensive research.
As his process developed, searching for beautiful photographs
became an essential first step.
“I used to go to the library to flip through stacks and stacks of
National Geographic, travel magazines, and books on art and oil
painting,” he says. “I was looking for a picture that would catch
my eye, that would make me say, ‘Wow, I need to paint that.’ Once
I had a computer, I could browse through hundreds of pictures
even more easily.”
He looks for something very specific.
“I’m always looking for black-and-white images,” he says. “I don’t
want to be influenced by someone else’s colors, and black-and-white
creates such deep, beautiful shadows.”
Davis continued to paint portraits from the African continent,
from Zulu warriors to the Maasai people.
april 2018
WA L K
Yellow Girl, 36 x 36 inches, oil on canvas.
Golden Gallery
Cotton Exchange
311 North Front Street, 910-762-4651, www.thegoldengallery.com
Eclipse Artisan
Boutique
More than 200 local and
regional artisans:
203 Racine Drive,
910-799-9883,
EclipseArtisanBoutique.com
“Bodie Island Sail”
Acrylic on canvas
40 inches high by 30 inches wide
$1,375
For Sale By Owner
“Wrightsville
Reflections”
Archival print of
Wrightsville Beach
memories
in several sizes.
Large, original, framed Dominican/Haitian painting circa 1997.
42 inches by 31 inches.
Can be inspected by appointment only,
at 7232 Wrightsville Avenue, Ste. D, Wilmington, NC
Contact: Pat Bradford 910-367-1137 or 910-256-5830
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WBM