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| Dessert at the Saturday night awards banquet |
"What is Portrait?" - Summary by Vicky Gooch
For me, going to the Portrait Society of America Conference is like finding myself in the middle of a gourmet buffet after a long fast. I love seeing all of the new or unfamiliar materials and techniques in the hands of skilled and masterful artists during the face off and other demonstrations. The products on hand for us to purchase and try on our own are always some of the best available. The life stories of the established artists are always inspiring to hear, especially when they come with a slideshow. This was my fifth conference. So as much as I enjoy every technical aspect of art, it is the panel discussion “What is Portrait” with Burton Silverman, Daniel Greene, Rose Frantzen, and David Kassan mediated by Scott Burdick that I would like to share about.
Four brilliant artists were being asked questions by another brilliant artist (and some audience members as well). Each answered the questions in the most honest way as it applied to them from their personal histories. So what is a portrait? A painting that makes eye contact? Of 22 faces in this year’s crop of finalists, only 5 painted faces look right at the viewer.
When Daniel Greene stated that he would not paint the portrait of an important person whose politics he disagreed with my first thought was “what a sad polarized world that has even tainted the beauty of art!” But Mr. Greene is at a pinnacle of the art world. Why should he work to immortalize one who has spent their life working at something that Mr. Greene disagrees with? A portrait painted by Daniel Greene would only serve to add to that individual’s prestige. Mr. Silverman certainly seemed to be confirming the idea that the realities of life and the limitations of our time on earth mean that we are allowed to make choices about how we spend that time.
Ahh, such wisdom.
Rose Frantzen represented the mid-career artist who also
took the time to paint 180 quick portraits of the people living in her Iowa
town. She insisted that we should not
judge those coming to us requesting a portrait. She felt very strongly that if
you search the soul of the sitter you will find the common humanity and be able
to bring it to life on the canvas. Certainly,
she gained this perspective from her project of painting a large group of people
who may have had little value to her before she began. She spoke honestly from her heart and her
position in her art journey. We paint
people. We are people. How can we pass judgment about who is worthy
of a painting?
David Kassan was the youngest artist on the panel. He has been a finalist twice with paintings of older relatives who influenced his life. This year he entered a very sensitive painting of his father. Not only is it technically adept, but the character of the man shows and there is a feeling of a connection to the artist and subsequently the viewer that cannot be denied. And yet, David confessed that he has never been commissioned to paint a portrait. This was the same honesty that surfaces in his work.
Such wisdom in the youngest artist.
Maybe it started as a desire to show that we can draw the most difficult of art subjects. When it is mastered portraiture shows us why it is so difficult. The subject matter is a human being just like the rest of us. Even with that common humanity, we have different histories and have come to different conclusions about life. Whatever a portrait is, it clearly does more than just make eye contact.
I loved the Face Off!
That's one of the highlights. Along with the side by side demo of Michele Dunaway and Sue Lyon...wow, wasn't that wonderful!
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| Susan Lyan and Michelle Dunaway capturing two different perspectives of the model in their Friday morning demo |
My other favorite
thing was Lunch and Learn with Sue Lyon...she was ADORABLE...and so transparent
and open in her sharing about life as an artist, and being married to an artist.
She said that she and Scott really need a WIFE! She was so cute. She said
that she only dresses up for these conferences, and at home lives in pajamas.
She does not cook. I loved hearing her honest struggles and down to earth
wrestling with work. The hour time went over by about 45 minutes with a smaller
group of women and the sharing brought more than a couple of women to tears.
Another highlight is
ALWAYS the people. Reconnecting with friends from years past, and adding lots
of new, delightful friends.
Also, wow, to be able
to study those finalist paintings and see the best of the best. I come away
half feeling like I should just give up, and half motivated to work
harder...I'm striving,( with much prayer!), to do the latter!
- Annie Walker
Conference Highlights - by Rhonda Lanclos
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| Michael Shane Neal, Mary Whyte, and Bart Lindstrom discussing "The Various Paths of Success" |
I loved the conference. It's like
walking around and talking to celebrities! I loved each demo, I went to
the Cecelia Beaux forum and enjoyed listening to the featured ladies especially, the sculptress, Rhoda Sherbell. I also really loved the face
off! And I loved the portfolios, actually I'm a terrible person to ask because
I loved it all. I
bought many nice treasures and wished I could have bought more! I had to
consider what I was carrying home.
The banquet was beautiful and heartwarming
event. I really liked the presentation on the business side of art ("The Various Paths to Success") and
would like to see more of that. I would like to hear more stories of
making the time to paint in the beginning of careers, color mixing magic, the
reality of not making money or making money, etc.
- Rhonda Lanclos
Below: enjoy a slideshow of Anna's photos from the Face-Off demo.
From the PSoA website:
The fourteenth annual The Art of the Portrait is returning to our nation's first capitol Memorial Day weekend in 2012. We're taking advantage of what this historic city has to offer, adding several new programs and providing attendees with ample opportunities to participate in classes and workshops, enjoy technical discussions and lectures, shop direct from top of the line art materials manufacturers, take home instructional books and DVDs, receive one-on-one critiques from faculty, network with artists and agents, travel to area museums and visit with friends, new and old.
For more information, please visit the conference page.
All photos courtesy of Anna Rose Bain, unless otherwise indicated.
