I’d Like You to Meet Some Friends
By Shaina Stewart
My house while I was growing up had over 300 communal members, all kinds of characters, moving in and out year by year. Our community was like a garden in flux; we learned to accept those coming and going with the seasons. In this home, we grew familiar with shared idiosyncrasies. We all hop the broken step in the fourth-floor east stairwell without thinking, and it’s cool to realize that humans each adapt and adopt these same habits from where they have been. These portraits are some of these people. The windowpanes I am painting on are from this special building, over 100 years old. The windows reflect space and are intended to offer a moment to engage with these beautiful, young individuals. I have learned to love that people do not stay still. Portraiture allows me to appreciate people in the moment, to capture a glimpse of these characters who I have lived with or met along the way.
