am 51 years of age and I am a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. The desire to begin painting portraits surfaced in late 2012. Two attempts were made. For the next three years zero physical work was produced, although daily thought and preoccupation continued. During this three year "thinking" period, a constant inner conflict was present- how do I create a painting that is more reflective of the inner state of being and its connection to life than an accurate physical depiction. Then one day in March 2015 out of frustration and
financia\ disparity, I picked up a paintbrush and began. It was quite daunting at first and then,

as if by magic, the most interesting characters began to emerge. Each having very specific personalities and emotional display. Some of them I felt great affinity towards, others I found irritating and abrasive. I have no idea who they are. They just seemed to emerge in the moment of placing brush to canvas. They are named and titled based on what I believe their inner lives reflect through their facial expressions. Sometime around a month into this new process, I began seeing the faces of my paintings walking through the city I live in. The first time I experienced this, I burst out laughing- it was completely surreal. I've started to document when I observe one of my portraits walking about, living a life, carrying on day after day. I make
a quick note of the date, time, what they're wearing, how they're interacting with the world, etc. I haven't gotten up enough courage at this point to ask for a photograph, but perhaps someday I will. In the meanwhile, I continue to put brush to canvas and see who emerges. Marius Park- Outsider, June- 2015

(On top 3 portraits found in the Internet)