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-   -   Nancy Bea Miller (http://portraitartistforum.com/showthread.php?t=6005)

Alexandra Tyng 06-29-2005 04:04 PM

Nancy Bea Miller
 
3 Attachment(s)
Here is a portrait I finished recently of my friend Nancy Bea, who is an artist known primarily for her still life and portraits/figurative works. I first did a color study from life, then photographed her at her kitchen table with her notebook in hand. I was attracted by the colors and by her contemplative mood. I included some details. This is my first attempt at Photoshop so I'm hoping the colors look okay.

Michele Rushworth 06-29-2005 06:48 PM

This makes me think of a modern update of a lot of Mary Cassat's paintings. Women doing casual every day things. Similar coloration too, soft pastels, etc. Very nice!

Garth Herrick 06-30-2005 12:03 AM

Nancy Bea!
 
Dear Alex,

I am still groping for the right words to express my love for this thoughtful, inspired painting. I know Nancy Bea well too, and cannot imagine a better and more natural capture of her as a friend and fellow artist. You have given so much depth and context to her personality with these fully integral surroundings that evoke a functional sybiosis in their conversant relationship. The harmonious color theme of soft yellows and pale muted blues, being both quiet and playful at the same time, offers a revealing window into her intellectual intensity, and her effervescent creativity. This is such a multisensory treat. I am about to strike up a familiar conversation and exchange of ideas with your portrait and it feels like a perfectly natural thing to do! You know, I would love the opportunity to see this one in life. .......It is already endowed with a wonderful penetrating life!

Bravo,

Garth

Tony Pro 06-30-2005 01:53 AM

Beautiful....

oodles of mood! and well executed!

I want more!
Tony

Lisa Ober 06-30-2005 06:48 AM

I feel like I have the vocabulary and artistic education of a two year old next to Garth's response so rather than really pegging myself as a complete idiot let me just say that I think your painting is beautiful.

Well, better go. I have to go buy the book "How to Speak So People Won't Think You're Stupid" which I believe is on sale.

Alexandra Tyng 06-30-2005 09:17 AM

Thank you, Michele, Tony, Garth & Lisa!

Lisa, forget buying the book, your portrait of the woman in the sari just spoke more eloquently than words. In fact all of you are superb artists and I value your comments more than I can say, so now I'm feeling a bit tongue-tied.

By the way, I forgot to say the portrait is 26" x 36".

Alexandra Tyng 06-30-2005 09:20 AM

Oh, yes, and Garth, you are welcome to come over to my studio any time. I'd like to see some more of your work in person too.

Cindy Procious 06-30-2005 11:38 AM

I don't know Nancy Bea, but, despite that, DITTO WHAT GARTH SAID.

Garth Herrick 07-02-2005 12:02 AM

In Person!
 
Well, I had the pleasure of meeting Alex today at her studio. She is very well set up with a generous flood of north light streaming through a bank of period double hung windows. Alex is as genuine an individual as one will ever meet, and we had an endless conversation about all aspects of art.

This portrait of Nancy Bea Miller just sparkled on her studio wall. The colors are even fresher in life, as you might imagine. It is always satisfying to see original art in person, just in front of you!

Thanks Alex,

Garth

Elizabeth Schott 07-02-2005 12:11 AM

Alex this is wonderful. In addition to the great gesture of your friend, it looks like you got to have tons of fun with all kinds of subject matter.

Lovely!

Ngaire Winwood 07-02-2005 07:13 AM

This is an inspiring portrait of your friend and speaks volumes of passion. Well done.

Julie Boyles 07-02-2005 09:21 AM

Dear Alexandra,

I am very fond of this painting! I've really come back to look at it several times and find something new to love about it each time. The colors really grab the eye and I really like the painterly style of it.

But the thing I really love about this is how "real" it is. It is so cool that you included the extra things that make up her life. I am just crazy about the children's drawings on the wall behind her! Even though I don't know her, your painting has really brought her to life for me!

Congratulations,
Julie
________
VAPIR NO2

Alexandra Tyng 07-02-2005 09:58 AM

Thanks to all
 
Cindy, Beth, Ngaire and Julie, I really appreciate what you said about this portrait! You picked up on the instant flash of "gotta paint this!" that I felt when I was sitting across from her at the table. The whole scene with all its objects and drawings on the wall was a complete composition, or maybe a still life with a person in it, asking to be painted. Add to this the fact that Nancy Bea paints still life, and I couldn't resist.

Garth, it was so enjoyable talking with you yesterday. Thanks so much for taking the time to come to my studio and lugging that heavy painting along. It is absolutely stunning in person! Hope it survived the rainstorm. Thanks so much again for your support and encouraging words!

Alex

Sharon Knettell 02-11-2007 09:47 AM

Terrific painting, well deserved award!

Thomasin Dewhurst 02-11-2007 01:46 PM

You're very talented, aren't you. I'm so envious! I want to do that too!

Alexandra Tyng 02-11-2007 10:45 PM

Sharon, thanks! I'd heard somewhere that if you've entered a piece three times without success, then you should stop trying. But my artist friends around here kept saying it was their favorite, so I thought, "Okay, I'll just save it for the Woodmere next year and see what happens." And voila! So three times isn't always the charm.

Thomasin, oh, you are too much! You do what YOU do so very, very well, of course you don't want to do what I do. You should have seen the junk I was doing when I was in my 30s. You are SO much better it isn't funny!

Marina Dieul 02-12-2007 09:19 AM

Congratulations, Alex! It's very well deserved and it is one of my favorite of yours too!

Alexandra Tyng 02-13-2007 10:48 AM

Marina, thanks so much! I'm flattered you all thought this old thread was worth dredging up.

Garth Herrick 02-14-2007 12:15 AM

Oh Alex,

You are so modest! I was in a three person show with you when we were in our thirties. You were GOOD! So good. I was afraid of you then. We had not met yet.

I did threaten to dredge up this thread, at the opening, but you did not want me to so I did not. You are too modest. Congratulations again (I congratulated you at the opening and award ceremony). It was great to see Nancy Bea in person as well.

You have received a very fine honor at an especially noteworthy show (in my humble opinion). :D There are only seventy (well, I can vouch for 69 of them if you know what I mean) very interesting artists featured in this Woodmere exhibition. Perhaps their best show yet!

I have a picture. I will have to find it and post it.

Garth

Dianne Gardner 02-14-2007 12:39 AM

Oh Alex, I love it! It is so humanly lovely and personal and full of life. Its beautiful!

Dianne

Alexandra Tyng 02-14-2007 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garth Herrick
There are only seventy (well, I can vouch for 69 of them if you know what I mean) very interesting artists featured in this Woodmere exhibition.

I'll vouch for the 70th.

Thanks, Garth and Dianne!

Thomasin Dewhurst 02-14-2007 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexandra Tyng
Thomasin, oh, you are too much! You do what YOU do so very, very well, of course you don't want to do what I do. You should have seen the junk I was doing when I was in my 30s. You are SO much better it isn't funny!

This is probably the reason you are so good - you don't think you're good enough! I can't paint a figure in a whole room full of details and objects with such consistency, balance, and truly felt and understood perspective, and keep the figure the focal point and full of character and life. And you talk about the clarity of my light. Well, in this work you have such a clear, convincing daylight, and it is everywhere throughout the painting. And you paint hands so well (and tables: so wonderfully wood-like and flat!) - it takes me about 5 years to do hands, and then they still look like playdough, or not really attached to the arms. No, you are really good, but keep believing you're not because you'll get even better, and even more of an inspiration.

(Thanks again for your comments, though and your interest. Very much appreciated!)

Alexandra Tyng 02-15-2007 10:29 AM

Thomasin, thank you again. Your words mean a lot. However, you do things with your painting that I admire, too. I guess we could call it mutual admiration.

Alexandra Tyng 02-15-2007 11:01 AM

Sorry, Garth and Dianne, I didn't see your posts.

Garth, unfortunately I never got to see that show (in 1988), but I heard all about the other talented artist, and then finally years later you showed me some of your work that was in it. It's very, very impressive! I have to say, though, I think we have both come a long way since then, and hopefully you are no longer afraid of me.

Dianne, thank you so much! That is exactly what I wanted to say in the portrait, so I am glad it came across.

Terri Ficenec 02-15-2007 05:15 PM

Alex --(coming late to this) Congratulations on the award! This is one of my favorites of yours too!

Alexandra Tyng 02-16-2007 11:32 PM

Thanks, Terri. :sunnysmil


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