Kevin Poorman
Kevin Poorman
In Studio
Workhouse Art Center Studio
Art a la Carte, Occoquan, VA
Kevin Poorman is a Virginia‑based artist whose practice blends engineered geometric abstraction, constructed landscapes, and cognitive mapping into a unified visual language. Drawing on a 40‑year career in forensic investigation with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, he approaches painting with a structural mindset — analyzing how order, tension, and spatial design shape human perception.
Poorman’s connection to art began in childhood in Southern Indiana, where his family owned an art‑supply and picture‑framing business. Surrounded by working artists who shared their time, techniques, and passion, he developed an early respect for craftsmanship and creative discipline.
Although deeply rooted in the arts, Poorman pursued a parallel fascination with forensic science, earning degrees from Indiana University and The George Washington University before entering federal service. Throughout his Air Force career — while raising two sons with his wife — he continued to make art as a grounding practice, working in pen and ink, acrylic, and enamel. Over time, the analytical habits of investigation evolved into the conceptual backbone of his studio work.
Poorman has been an active contributor to the regional arts community. He served as a resident studio artist at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, where he maintained a public studio and exhibited regularly. He was also a member of the Art à la Carte artist cooperative in Occoquan, Virginia, selling original works and prints through the gallery and participating in community exhibitions.
Working primarily in acrylic, Poorman develops his paintings in series, each one a self‑contained environment with its own internal logic. His portfolio spans geometric abstractions, constructed landscapes, and folk‑map renderings of historic towns and venues across Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Florida’s Space Coast. His work is held in institutional collections, including the U.S. Air Force Art Collection through the Pentagon Arts Program, as well as numerous private collections.