The Portrait Painting Portfolio of Stuart Sampson
On the Horizon #3, acrylic on wood
Stuart Sampson is a painter based in Oklahoma. In his practice, Stuart specializes in portrait painting, creating colourful, expressive portraits of various subjects. The faces of Native American people, as well as athletes and actors, factor prominently in Stuart’s portfolio.
Hairy Moccasin, acrylic on wood
Browsing through Stuart’s portfolio, I’m reminded of work by Clayton Samuel King and Nocona Burgess. The parallels between Stuart and Nocona are particularly clear in Stuart’s use of bright planes of colour and monochromatic backgrounds to emphasize the appearance of his figures. Stuart paints frequently on wood panels, allowing a hint of the wood texture to show through between brush marks, which I find adds another inviting element of interest to the works.
The front page of Stuart's portfolio website
I really appreciate the combination of bright colour for backgrounds and subdued gradients for facial details. The use of black, white, and grey allows Stuart to capture the faces of his subjects with great sensitivity and expression.
