A friend and fellow blogger (Hi, Bruce!) sent me this artist, and I fell instantly in love. Meet Joe Coffey. His work is a perplexing mix of animal and people portraits, and he’s equally skilled at both. That’s really unusual!

Coffey’s works are in large  format, ranging from 3 to 6+ feet. Primarily featuring photo-realistic subjects on abstract backgrounds, there’s something intense and immensely satisfying about Coffey’s paintings. His subjects all seem to be entirely themselves. Their expressions are frank and unapologetic; even the animals seem to be issuing a sort of challenge. “This is me. Deal with it.”

“[As a child] My best friends were the farm animals I would meet on my walks. They loomed above my little being and their eyes transfixed me. I began to draw them. In doing so I could capture my own emotions. As I matured, my images (while still personal) began to express my conviction that the human condition is solitary, that each of us traverses this world alone. Paradoxically I recognize my fascination with “face,” and excavating some kind of personality out of my subjects is perhaps my way of connecting to others, or perhaps a longing. It’s almost a voyeuristic experience for me…”

You can see more of Coffey’s beautiful paintings on his website, you can follow him on Instagram and Facebook, and you can purchase his works from Chloe Fine Arts and Gallery Gevik.

All images property of Joe Coffey.