John Singer Sargent, American artist (1856-1925), has strongly influenced my approach to art. First let me tell you that what truly draws me to his work is that they all seem so fresh and effortless - distinguished characteristics of high skills in any form of art in my opinion.

Some people prefer the photorealistic and high- polished art, I don't (with exception to sculptures, I like both Michelangelo and Rodin). I love how his brushstrokes are loosely, yet strategically applied on the canvas. It seems he captured every bit of beauty that the setting had to offer. He was so enamored with beauty in fact that he stylized his subjects, some by stretching them to make them more appealing.

I say, it's good to know these options as a portrait/figurative artist like myself. I hope to always express my love for his fresh looking paintings through my own work. I hope to always be able to share the beauty of my subjects but with one eye from Sargent and the other eye from Thomas Eakins who depicted reality as part of beauty.

In my painting of "Hillary's Engagement", I depicted her in a setting that was taken from Sargent's "Lady Agnew" (his painting shown below). I think most people who see this painting and know Sargent will note the familiar painterly style and perhaps even notice the rest of it.