Dwyane Wade And One Of My Biggest Fears As An Artist

The stereotype of a sensitive artist is rooted in truth, as the nature of the work is so personal. One of my biggest fears as a portrait artist is inadvertently missing the mark when capturing my subject’s likeness in a painting. The irony of my fear is that I’m known for the accuracy of my portraits,and it is one of the reasons collectors seek me out to commission custom paintings. 

As a portrait artist specializing in athletes, public figures, and entertainers, the story I’m telling on canvas is often an icon’s moment of peak intensity. The stakes are incredibly high for me to capture each facial feature perfectly. Faces, especially the eyes, tell so much about the scene—the story, the history, the raw emotion. One brushstroke out of place can alter all of that, and that responsibility is something I carry with me every time I bring a piece to life.

Recently, I felt sympathy for Oscar Leon, who faced harsh criticism over his sculpture of Dwyane Wade, which was revealed live to the NBA Hall-of-Famer in front of Kaseya Center, where the Miami Heat. As artists, we pour our souls into our work, and when a piece is intended for a public space the pressure can be amplified. When I was commissioned to paint Arizona State University’s golf alumni for the program’s state-of-the-art practice facility, I was honored with the project, but the gravity of that opportunity was not lost on me.

Next week, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County opens its grand exhibition, Wish You Were Here, and golf legend Jack Nicklaus is one of the committee members. I will have two paintings featuring Jack in my exhibit, and there is a bit of nervous anticipation waiting for him and his family to see my artistic interpretation of the “Golden Bear.”

With every commissioned piece, I make it a point to work closely with collectors to ensure we are all proud of the final result, knowing that collaboration is essential to capture the soul of a piece and the intricate detail of the subject’s face. 

Dwyane showed Oscar tremendous grace when the statue was unveiled, acknowledging the dedication to the art and expressing his gratitude for the statue. I now have an even greater respect for Dwyane as a public figure and legend in Miami. He could have easily jumped on the bandwagon of criticism toward Oscar and he didn’t. As an artist, his kind reaction allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.

Interested in my version of Dwyane Wade?  Here is a link to purchase prints of my original painting: "D-Wade 'This Is My House.'"