While I paint mostly in oils, and
mainly from life, I frequently use
other mediums such as pastel, acrylic, watercolor, and charcoal. My subjects include portraits, homes, figures, animals, still life, and Plein air landscapes.

About the Artist

Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Brooklyn, I’m currently a resident of Millburn, New Jersey. I’ve worked as a professional art director and designer/illustrator for various corporations and non-profits, and as a commissioned fine arts painter specializing in portraiture. An alumnus of Pratt Institute and the Art Students League, I’ve studied with many leading realist painters, including Nelson Shanks, Dave Passalacqua, and Costa Vavagiakis.

My approach to painting is to capture the grace and beauty of ordinary people. The sampling of portraits and figuratives included on this website were painted from life in my studio and at the Art Students League in New York. My quest is not to capture a moment in time, but to capture a time in the life of the individual I paint. In so doing, I hope to evoke a response and create an emotional connection between the painting and the viewer, which to me is a rewarding and humbling experience.

I am currently undertaking portrait commissions.



			With friends at his solo exhibition at Express Yourself Gallery.







		© copyright 2010 OscarPetersonPortraits