Andrew Portwood
(American, b. 1961)

Andrew Portwood is a world-builder. In his lyrical, engaging paintings one can find an abundance of movement underpinned by classical forms. His use of color is carefully controlled, and his paintings inhabit a dynamic balance between romantic figurative and dreamlike abstraction.

Often populated by enigmatic equestrian riders, Portwood’s narratives emerge or hide in alternating rhythms. His colorwork is bold and harmonious with fresco-like layers. Under-drawings remain visible through delicate washes of tint, patches of painted canvas add texture and shapes are augmented with incised lines created with the heel of a brush.

Portwood’s process of alternating between layers of texture and visible gestural movements in his brush work animates the canvases. To daydream of antiquity or revel in the pleasure of a contemporary moment, Portwood’s paintings feel dynamic and alive.

“I really like to see the ‘thinking lines’ and so-called imperfections in the work, I consider them random marks of human character.”

Trained in multiple disciplines at Auburn University’s School of Visual Art and Design, Portwood first entered the world of advertising as a graphic designer and illustrator. In this rigorous context - charged with creating immediate engagement and concise messaging - he became a master of visual storytelling. This created a perfect segue into designing and illustrating for the publishing industry, particularly children’s literature, while developing his voice as a pure painter.

“It was a great training ground because you had to build a story from your imagination and life experiences with just pencil drawings, body language and expression of figure. It was like assembling a stable of actors, but two-dimensionally.”

Since turning to painting full-time in the early 2000s, Portwood has made his home in New Orleans, exhibiting regularly in South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas.

Education
1984 Auburn University, School of Visual Art and Design, B.A.

Exhibitions
2023 Art for Art’s Sake, Jillian Mac Fine Art, New Orleans, LA

2023 Choose your own Adventure, Meyer Vogl Gallery, Charleston, SC

2022 Bright Ideas, Meyer Vogl Gallery, Charleston, SC

2021 Good on Paper, Meyer Vogl Gallery, Charleston, SC

2018 Mac-Gryder Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2016 Fourteenth Street Antiques, Atlanta, GA

2015 Muse Gallery, Roswell, GA

2014 Anne Irwin Fine Art, Atlanta, GA

2014 Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta, GA

2013 Nicholson Gallery, Atlanta, GA

2011 The Mercantile, Atlanta, GA