I have been working on this project for about 12 years now. The piece consists of 500 portraits of people I have met locally and in my travels abroad. It's entitled 500 FACES - PEACE BEGINS WITH A SMILE. It includes portraits of women, men and children I have encountered on her numerous travels around the globe.
As a youngster, I had a dream of meeting everyone on the planet and making a personal connection. I know, ambitious and unrealistic. But I feel like this project has brought me a step closer to my goal.
When visiting different countries, I found it frustrating that I could not communicate with people in their native languages. I always found that the smile was a immediate ice breaker and it allowed us to connect and interact on a personal level.
These 6x6" oil paintings represents a colorful world population and diversity in a large mosaic of smiles and inclusion. They represent the global community with infectious joy and joviality. In a time of division and disjuncture, the smile is one of the important things that connects us and displays our humanity and compassion.
I see this piece displayed in a public forum for everyone to see and enjoy. It's a patchwork of the diversity in societies which leads to understanding and connection with people that may look slighty different from us yet share in our hopes and dreams and values. One people. One planet. One human race. 500 smiles. Check out the link. https://youtu.be/7pry6wLOwLM
