I would wish my portraits to be of the people, not like them. Not having a look of the sitter, being them.
I paint people not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be.
I've always wanted to create drama in my pictures, which is why I paint people. It's people who have brought drama to pictures from the beginning. The simplest human gestures tell stories.
I work from the people that interest me, and that I care about, in rooms that I live in and know. I use the people to invent my pictures, and I can work more freely when they are there.
I want paint to work as flesh... my portraits to be of the people, not like them. Not having a look of the sitter, being them ... As far as I am concerned the paint is the person. I want it to work for me just as flesh does.
I paint people, not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be.