Christina Major is a portrait painter interested in the ways the identity of both artist and subject can coexist in a painting. Major's current creative research focuses on the traditional form of the portrait as a powerful form of representing an individual and how meaning can be expanded through scale, brushstroke, color, texture, composition, and the many variables that portraiture deals with.

This one-of-a-kind oil painting is 49 inches square. It is signed by Major on the back. The artwork is wired and ready to hang. It does not require framing. Free local Los Angeles area delivery. Affordable Continental U.S. and International shipping are also available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included.

Major expands the traditional portrait painting by cataloging her memories and thoughts along with the thoughts of the subject - at times recording quotes from the person depicted - by painting under, into, and over the subject in her handwriting. Major’s “hand” is visible both in the brushstroke and in the cursive writing, preserving her identity in a “readable” way both literally and through graphology, or handwriting analysis.

Major's paintings are created with oil on gesso-primed canvas. Her portraits feel overwhelming and have a “larger-than-life” presence that cannot be ignored. The large scale also creates a different “reading” of the painting depending on the viewing distance. Up close, areas may be read abstractly due to the emphasis on defined brush strokes, dabs of energetic color, and texture that is formed by the cursive text. From far away, the image coalesces from the fragmented strokes and layers of writing, drawing focus to the likeness of the subject painted.