Every now and then I’ll see someone on the subway who is interesting, and I will surreptitiously snap a photo.  Not humorous or mocking or lecherous. Just…interesting.

As I have gathered these photos I began thinking about what an odd experience riding the subway (or any public transit) is: you are voluntarily putting yourself in a confined space with a bunch of strangers, all of whom – like you – are doing their best to avoid any sort of personal contact.  It is public, yet private.  Tedious, yet necessary.

At the same time I began to wonder what would happen if I applied a very traditional and personal medium – indirect oil portraiture – to a situation steeped in cold, impersonal observation such as surveillance cameras.

The first painting was published last year, and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to explore.  This week I published a new gallery on my website called Travelers.

I hope you enjoy! (click the link above for the rest of the series so far)

Travelers #3 : Oil on board, 9″x12″ 2014