Process

The thought of having your portrait painted is daunting to some people, (not including children, who seem to thoroughly enjoy the process). Tonia makes it as painless as possible by exploring the attributes and life style of a subject in several ways. The first step is an initial one-hour consultation with the client to get acquainted and discuss details of the proposed portrait. Time spent in the subject¹s home or work space is most advantageous. She may do a quick sketch in graphite or oils, take photos for future reference or schedule a longer meeting.

At a subsequent meeting, a preliminary sketch of the final portrait is submitted and approved. When the final painting begins, the subject ideally sits for one-half to one-hour sessions, two to ten times, depending on the subject¹s time constraints. Tonia has studio space in Wisconsin, New York, California and at her home on Maui. If sittings are not possible, she is able to paint directly from photographs and sketches
(posthumously if needed).