Beyond Appearances: Intricate Portraits - Past, Present, Future

In Honor of Women's History Month

GE Women's Network celebrates 15th Anniversary with ART

Beyond Appearances: Intricate Portraits – Past, Present, Future

Four of my works are being shown alongside the work of four other women artists in this exhibit at the General Electric Headquarters  in Fairfield, CT. The show is up through April 26, 2013.

The show is curated and arranged by Picture That, LLC, a company that specializes in promoting cultural awareness through the arts.

From the GE Cultural Fine Art Gallery website: "The portraits presented in this exhibition reveal the thoughts, relationships, and realities that lie beyond the surface. Dreams, recollections, and connections between generations are captured across the selected canvases."

"Flight Plan", 23x32, oil

Dreams of Flying, oil, 18x24 

"Oracle", 22x30, Charcoal and Pastel

“Mary Lee as Artemisia Gentileschi” Incognito Project, 16x16,  oil

Terry's work is "...focused on the inner workings of her subjects' hearts and minds. The personalities and individual stories that simmer within a woman's subconscious are on display in most of her work.

While Mathis's fixation on the Early Renaissance is literal, Strickland goes a step further, portraying her subject as a famous 17th Century painter in "Mary Lee as Artemisia Gentileschi." Not only is she juxtaposing histories, but delving and pulling each in to the other to form a new context in which Gentileschi and Mary Lee represent an artistic paradigm.

In other works, the psychic symbolism of flight is also on display, as Strickland defines the intuitive desire to soar in both "Dreams of Flying," and "Flight Plan." By transforming and taking to the sky, Strickland's subject is able to find new heights and visualize new perspectives beyond her position on the ground."

"Madame and the Madonna Enthroned", Oil, Barbara Mathis

"Dana Watkins and Shirley Chisholm",  Acrylic, Simone Spruce-Torres

"Time Enough",  Upcycled Junk Mail, Greeting Cards on Canvas,  Sandhi Schimmel Gold

"The Icon", Oil,  Norma Greenwood

My painting “Mary Lee as Artemisia Gentileschi” is part of The Incognito Project. More information and details about the painting can be found on pages 38-41 of the book about the project.

Here's is a recent interview I did with ABC 33/40's Dave Baird about The Incognito Project.

Aloft

I have just finished two posthumous portraits. The first of which I'm sharing here. I'll share the other later.

Aloft, 24x54, oil on canvas over panel

The design started with a photo of the model being held up by the three men in the painting. The original photograph was a flashed snapshot so it was super challenging to have the paint look lively. I used several different photos of the model's face as reference as well.

The design involved many different body-double photographs since the photo was cropped in such a way that the hands and much of the bodies from all the subjects were not included in the photo.

My client (the model's husband) and I talked about what the painting should entail and he told me his wife was a fun loving person. She was from New Orleans and had an unconventional spirit. After that conversation I wanted to make this composition work. I knew it captured her playful spirit and was a good place to start.

I've been working on this piece off and on since last summer and consistently since November. I have left my DNA all over this painting in the form of blood, sweat and tears, no kidding.

But I am happy to say the painting has been approved. The model's friends and family that have seen it online think I have captured her likeness and her spirit. I could not be more pleased.

My client shared a favorite quote from my model from her high school year book.

“On with the dance, let joy be unconfined." ~Byron

I will be delivering the two paintings later this month. I’m honored and humbled to have been charged with the task of painting Karen. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to help celebrate her joyous dance through life.