The Unconventional Portrait
anna
"Annie-Girl On The Go" private collection
Hi Subscriber,
What do you think of when you hear the word, 'portrait?'
Most think in terms of people first and then maybe pets, but generally
that's as far as it goes.
I have a great deal of respect for artists who specialize in
portraiture. I tried my hand at it a few times, with moderate success.
But I hardly ever do anymore unless I am inwardly compelled by a face
or personality. The portrait above was one of those rare exceptions.
This was the child of a dear friend and I found her sweetness and zest
for life utterly disarming. She's grown now and still full of energy
and the same joy she had at age five when I painted this.
I treasure that the inspiration struck when it did because I stopped
doing portraits not long after this. A working artist cannot always
count on a lightning strike after all.
It's not that I CAN'T paint people. It's that I prefer not to for this
and a couple of other reasons.
I moved on to still life and tiny landscapes, and just naturally
assumed that portraiture was behind me...until I met a different kind
of portrait artist.
Hers are unconventional and yet her vision is similar to mine.
We both paint memories.
I paint antique objects like in the images below; a polished wingtip
shoe like Daddy's, a friend's coffee grinder, a garden trowel, and a
flour sifter like my mother had.
Spitshine
"Spitshine"
Morning Essentials
"Morning Essentials"
Robin On Trowel
"Robin On Trowel"
The Gleaner
"The Gleaner"
Now meet my much admired fellow artist, Leslie Lewis Sigler.
Leslie paints silver objects mostly. People send her their cherished
treasure and tell her the back-story of a beloved aunt or grandmother
who left her silver to them. The natural scars and patina in a silver
object are a reflection of the time in which the original owner lived.
I even have a pie server exactly like one she painted a few years ago.
So many fond memories surround these objects that the story and painted
image together keep that person's memory alive in much the same way a
head-and-shoulders portrait does.
And yet, these 'portraits' are so universally captivating in their own
right that people who don't know their history can enjoy them just as
much. That appeal is one of many characteristics I strive for in my own
work.
When I visited Leslie's Instagram page for the purpose of sharing her
work with you, I discovered that she has recently started painting,
(you guessed it), teacups, which I already paint, and place settings
which I am preparing to paint.
Pear Butter Toast
"Pear Butter Toast"
But I thought of doing place settings long before I saw hers. I have a
whole section of my idea sketchbook devoted to this to prove it.
It's filled with thumbnail ideas, some elegant, some rustic. Some may
even make their way into prints.
No promises...yet.
Let's see how they turn out first.
In the meantime, take heart, brave the cold, and know that as long as
the Earth endures Spring will come, heralded by birdsong!
Jan
P.S. Strada challenge ends today. Whew! Breaking out the bigger easel
now.
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