I love and fear painting these portraits. Most of my portraits are painted in a single session on textured white paper or on a painted background. Like an athlete preparing for an event I practice many times before I start to paint. I try to capture the essence of the face as simply and with as few lines as possible. At first glance it may seem underdone but on subsequent viewings the depth of character grows. The image will not date or become stale because you will become more awear of the personality of the subject the more you live with the painting.