Christine Kerrick

Rani Mukerji Acrylic on D'Arches watercolor paper

'Battlefield of the Mind' Oil on a panel. Most of the fears we have, roadblocks we experience and lies we believe are in our minds. In this painting, the spiritual enemy, Satan, spews deception in the form of flies, who light wherever they can, leaving their dirt behind. The woman knows her mind is the battlefield on which the war on her heart is waged. She fights back with the truth found in scripture, which says that she is valuable, that God has plans for her life, and that she is loved.

'Paths of Righteousness' Oil on a panel. Almost everything in life is a choice. Things that happen 'to' us (like assault, where and when you were born and your race) are out of our control. The rest of our actions are fully our responsibility. And so before us lay two paths: Death and Life. This painting was originally going to be full-color; its present browns and blacks the underpainting. Given the subject matter, however, I kept it 'black-and-white', the choice between good and evil...between truth and illusion. I may expand upon this piece later with others, of full color, but for now, I liked the detail and the stark reality that, no matter what we choose, each choice is a path that will lead to one of two destinations. 'I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; terefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;' --Deuteronomy 30:19

'Ryan Dunn' Acrylic on Strathmore paper I did this piece in the summer of 2011, after the untimely death of the reality star and local celebrity on June 20 of that year, just a few miles from my house. Up until then, I only knew of Bam Margera, from the same MTV show, but watched quite a few of the stunts of Ryan and the gang, some of which were filmed in my own town, where most of them lived. People I spoke to in town remembered him as 'a really nice guy', 'down to earth' and, of course, 'a clown'. He sounds like he would have been a cool guy to meet. The technique in this piece was experimental. I started with a monochrome blue over a pencil sketch I put together from several photos. This image of him doesn't actually exist. Gingerly, I added 'pieces' of color, trying not to blend too much, or put in the kind of detail I usually do. I went dramatic on the color too, wanting a rougher, more 'painterly' look. From the response of Ryan's friends and fans, I think it worked.

'Bam Margera' Acrylic on Strathmore paper. This is the companion piece to 'Ryan Dunn' and is done with the same technique as his buddy's portrait.

'Shahid' (monochrome) Oil on a panel. This actor was in the film which got me hooked on Bollywood: 'Chance Pe Dance'. Shahid Kapoor is a multi talented actor and dancer and, while this film is suited for more teen and twenty-something audiences, well, I guess that means me. This piece was originally going to be in color, but I stopped at the monochrome. I loved its drama and did not want to mess up what I saw as a finished piece.

'Shah Rukh Khan' Oil on a panel. 9 x 12. Known in India as 'SRK', I was inspired to do Shah Rukh's portrait after seeing his talent in films like 'Veer Zaara', 'Ra-One', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', the 'Don' series and, my all-time favorite romantic film, 'Rab Ni Bana Di Jodi'. SRK is very active as a philanthropist, especially in a matter close to my heart: the literacy of Indian children. He has made over 75 films. His face is expressive and exotic, which was why I wanted to do this portrait, and why I will probably do more of him.

'Priyanka Chopra' Oil on panel. 9 x 12" Priyanka Chopra is one of the most beautiful women I've seen. Her beauty is natural, and she is the second portrait (after Shah Rukh Khan) I have done after a portrait class I recently took. The instructor taught us color mixing for portraiture done in a Venetian style. Our class's color palette was based on our model, a very light-skinned woman, possibly of Irish descent, so I had to adjust for a light-skinned South Asian (Indian) person. I will be investigating the color of Indian races possibly in other media, such as colored pencil and pastel, so I can do another portrait in oil.

"Abba, Father', by Christine Kerrick Graphite on paper Prints and postcards available at www.christinekerrick.com