Denise Reid, Staff Reporter

JEFFERY SAMUELS has never had a solo showing of his art, neither has Damion Cunningham. But, last month at the Tryall Club's Island Expressions exhibition, the work of these artists stood out.

Both Samuels and Cunningham are strangers but what they have in common is a love for portraits, something they both have been doing since childhood.

Samuels, who has no formal education in art, considers his artistic ability a gift. For years, he would create art and either hang them at home or share them with his friends. But, after friends constantly reassured him that his work was good, he started to display it.

Portraits in pencil on paper

At his last showing, most of the pieces were portraits done in pencil on paper.

"I might look at a sunset and it just looks like a picture in a frame. I might look at a picture of a person and it looks like a work of art," said Samuels, as he explained what inspires and influences his work.

On display were portraits of Bob Marley and Tiger Woods. "Some people have a particular feature that I like to draw, said Samuels, explaining that when it comes to Marley, it is the teeth, mouth and ears," he said, expressing his delight at drawing photogenic people.

Following the recent presidential election in the United States, Samuels said it was an appropriate time to present portraits of President-elect Barack Obama. This he did pencil on paper, and entitled it 'The Dream'. Portraits were also done of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, and John F Kennedy.

Dream clearer now

"I wouldn't say the dream is complete but you can see it much more clearly now and I think the two first ones (Martin and Kennedy) were instrumental in that dream. Additionally (and perhaps why much of his work is done in pencil), Sameuls explained that he doesn't like to look at colour for too long.

"I am not a person who sees black or white, I see human beings as human beings. So, it was a pleasure for me to incorporate Kennedy because I've always thought men are men, despite their outward appearance."

Cunningham's paintings would make photorealists proud. His work embodies a precision and similarity to actual characters that easily captures one's attention.

Discovered by Rohan Woodhall

Cunningham, who describes himself as a 'countryman', never really started to do professional art until artist Rohan Woodhall discovered him. Cunningham recounted the story of how Woodhall was passing his house and saw drawings he had done as a child. Woodhall saw great potential in him. The year was 2003, it was then that he started painting.

Cunningham goes around taking photos that he considers memorable and paints them. He revealed that many of the portraits he has done are of people in rural settings.

Cunningham spoke highly of Woodhall, adding that he has played a big role in his career.