About

Maurice T. Cassidy Portrait Artist utilizing oil on paper Born in Ireland Living in San Diego

I started painting with acrylics on board, and canvas, then switched to oil on Arches oil paper. I discovered that painting on paper was less forgiving, though there were certainly benefits from the point of view of storage. But far more than that I liked the smoothness of oils, the vibrancy and depth of color, the aroma, the mess, the manner in which the paint attaches itself, and the feel of the brush gliding across the slightly crenelated paper. The paper itself has weight, and flexibility – attached to a board it provides a surface that can withstand the emotion that some of my subjects bring out in me. I fell in love with oil on paper, and now there is a familiar rhythm to working on a painting. A clean brush, and a fresh sheet of paper is an invitation to explore what paint and paper can yield, and sometimes it yields a little bit of magic.

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