College President
 

This is a modest 30 x 24 inch portrait of Dr. Thomas Leamer, President of Delaware Valley College. His institution is located near Doylestown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and one of the main focuses is upon agricultural sciences. The campus is essentially one high-tech and bucolic farmstead.

There are already a number of past presidents represented in this same size, so this portrait is just keeping a tradition going. Dr. Leamer is a somewhat stoic and quiet gentleman, and he can be proud of many personally directed accomplishments over his tenure.

This painting is relatively simple. The commission directive simply specified a head and shoulders only portrait with nothing for the background. I elaborated a little; just enough to keep it from being too stark. The background is not quite literal to the setting. I did simplify and distill it a bit. I have painted the face slightly higher in key than I normally have, which helps keep the lighting relatively soft in nature, due to a narrowed dynamic range of values.

This was delivered yesterday and the reception was quite successful. Dr. Leamer, in his reserved manner responded "I will withhold comment until my wife arrives". Minutes later she arrived and was beaming with excitement, so Dr. Leamer at last elicited a smile of satisfaction! The formal unveiling will take place on May 12th.

Here's some images:

Garth

If I were a street kid I'd say. "Man, that was totally wicked!" But I have to be polite and I'd better say "stunning".

Loved it Garth!

I like the way you said it first!

Thanks, Bonfim!

Garth

Garth,

This is masterful! You are getting that great cool daylight on his skin and as a result the skintones are incredibly lifelike with all the nuances of reality. And his expression is personable with the implication of impending motion or speech or something very characteristic of him. I feel as though he could talk or even walk right out of the canvas. The pinstriped suit is so well-rendered in general values and also in the way the stripes are laid over the underlying form. I love the crispness of his shirt. You've really made the most of this modestly proportioned format. Congratulations!

Pinstripe subtlety
 

Thanks Alex!

Here are some up close details of the lost-and-found pinstripes on the suit, which are subtle, and yet more stated than in the actual fabric.

Garth

Garth, I really like the pale background, with so many loose and intelligent painterly strokes. The fleshtones are excellent. Once again, I marvel at the deftness of your light touch, value control and soft edges, which are so much a part of your painting style. It seems to be especially forgiving to aging faces.

Didn't I just read recently on this Forum that one out of ten portraits is supposed to be a disaster? Well, I'm still waiting for that one disaster out of you. This is a very successful painting, big congratulations to you!

Garth,

I totally agree with Alexandra's comments and like to add that I am amazed how you have been able to avoid the "cut out"look, even though the suit is set against an extremely light background. I like the juxtaposition of the dark vs light and think you have handled this superbly.

Thanks Linda, and Enzie!

Perhaps those disasters are merely incompletely resolved portraits.

Enzie, I am not sure I am able to be articulate on how to make darks againt lights not seem too cut-out. I think the main things are to manage values well, keep the forms descriptively turning in the light, no matter how subtle it may be, and keep each element in agreement with the next, in this regard, so they automatically support one another.

The dark suit may be fitting because it has the added support of the darks of the chairs, as well as the white shirt, and face equally turning in concert with the light on the suit, as a function of value management. Also it is not always necessary to have so sharp an edge. A little, if even microscopic, transition value or blur can go a long way.

Thanks again!

Garth

Garth, this is terrific. I'm not surprised at the enthusiastic reaction at the college.

It's a great reminder that one can get an impression of rock-solid reality and still be a painter with a painter's touch.

Congratulations--TE

Well this is just superb, Garth. Your composition (in all three dimensions) is just spot-on: beautifully balanced and creative in its use of contrast, rhythm, focus. It's hovering on the border of photorealism, but shows so well that you needn't go any farther to achieve the same impact. You haven't had to resort to smoothing out your, as Linda said, intelligent, painterly and quite joyful marks (did you sing a lot when you painted this?).

Your drawing is top-notch and, as usual, your ability to render shallow space, and roundedness to a figure is just so right. Your colours have worked out very well, and there's an intensity to the painting that is carried so well throughout the piece.

And the facial character and physiognomy is full of life and believable personality.

Very, very well done!!

So nicely done, Garth - so much is there, but so subtle. Understated like you describe the man to be.

Bravo, my friend:)

Wicked good :exclamati

see ya.....tomorrow!

-D

What a great departure from the normal "presidential" portrait. I am happy to see the high key treatment as it is unexpected in this type of portraiture.

I understand, I believe, that it is part due to the nature of the assignment but to take it to this conclusion shows a great understanding of your craft and a bit of "can do" type of personality.

Congratulations, Garth, on another beautiful portrait and for your ingenious creation.

Great skin tones and so alive!

Hi Garth,
as usual........etc.
I also like that you have "undermined" the formality of the project by making the design of the background less pompous with an almost humorous touch, bravo! This might add to the characteristic of the stander.
The study of the shaded parts of the head tells me all I need to know about painting skin. :)

Garth, I don't know why I missed this.
I am absolutely charmed by the beauty of the grays in the background, they make the painting even before having a better look at the subject.
I feel that in this work you might have been more interested and involved in the painting itself than in some of your previousworks on judges. I think your rendering of lights has reached an all times high here.
I am afraid I will have to borrow those greys for one of my work sooner or later, do you mind?
Ilaria

Great work, Garth!
Sorry I didn't have the time to answer sooner...
I love the strong simplicity of value massing. The background is fascinating for me, it makes me think to those luminous interiors of dutch paintings.
Thanks for sharing.

Masterfully done Garth! Congratulations. I have a question regarding the background. I assume that the image at the bottom right is an armrest, was there a reason for placing two chairs down there...was it a balance issue? Why just the armrest? Love your portraits. Thanks for posting it. We all learn from your work.
Steven

Thanks everyone!
 

Hi Steven, good question!

First let me thank: Tom, Thomasin, Julie, Chris, David, John, Cynthia, Allan, Ilaria, Marina, and you for all your high level of praise I never quite expect!

This was a simple modestly budgeted commission, and with respect to that I tried to keep the process as simple and direct as possible. The reference image I took with my camera included these armchairs as shown; these elements just happened to be there. I did edit out a number of other details, like the door and doorknob, making it merely a color field. I did like for psychological associations, having the chairs remain, as they seemed to connote a relationship this president has with others in his office. I thought the shapes were interesting too.

Thanks again,

Garth

Dear Garth

What can I say that already hasn't been said. WOW! You are truly an inspiration to the lesser skilled. Thank you for logging on and sharing.

Garth-- I've long since run out of superlatives to describe how impressive your work is! Another stunner. Bravo!