My first portrait in oil

The making of a spontaneous oil portrait – painted by Stephan Ois

A text by Jonathan Seiffert

Jonathan, Vienna 2017, spontaneous portrait in oil on canvas by Stephan Ois

When I got to know Stephan Ois some time ago, I was immediately enthusiastic about his painting, especially the lively and expressive oil portraits. Whereas at the beginning of the year I had still entered factory18, Stephan's gallery and art workshop, as a customer, in the meantime I worked as his assistant and was allowed to attend several painting sessions, among them a portrait sitting of the rector of the Boku. We often considered portraying me as well at some point, but could not find a suitable time for it.

Then all of a sudden things moved very quickly. One evening Stephan suggested painting me spontaneously, then and there, which surprised me, as the portrait artist normally plans and prepares his portraits carefully. So at first I watched, full of scepticism, as he strode through the factory gathering all the materials needed: an old stretcher, a canvas that was far too small even at first glance, the almost dried-up palette of a previous painting and, of course, the painting case with the paints and brushes. I could not imagine how a portrait was supposed to come out of this, because all of it contradicted the way of working I had come to know from him so far. Only the mixing of new, clean colours matched to my skin tones and the tones of the surroundings reassured me somewhat. But then fresh doubts arose when I could see that he was not rendering my whole head at all, but only the upper part of my face in wild strokes. In between, he scraped some parts of the old palette off with the palette knife and smeared the hardened remains into my painted face.

Then suddenly it was over. With a broad grin on his face, he asked me to look at the result. Somewhat unsettled by the short duration of the painting and the materials used, I ventured a first look… and was instantly delighted! The free character of the portrait was not only intensified but rather rounded off by the impasto areas with the old paint remains and the wild brushwork extending beyond the edge of the picture. Thus a small masterpiece was created of which I am very proud and which will always have a special place with me.

Further portraits in oil by the portrait artist Stephan Ois can be admired at www.ölportrait.at.