Oil Paintings

"The paintings of people who live in the street is inspired by the Beatitudes of Matthew and Luke. They are paintings of people who I encounter walking in the district around the homeless missions in Denver. I choose to make their acquaintance when I realized they have been invisible to me for most of my life. It can be a bit frightening to walk in these areas, because I clearly don’t belong here; but, I wonder, does anyone really belong here?

These paintings have an affinity for 17th Century European portraiture. I have always loved the elegant posing and dignified bearing of the wealthy who commissioned these portraits, and the technical virtuosity of the artists who made them. I hope to grace the portraits of these street denizens with the same humanity." - Joe Bednarek