Portraiture: A Philadelphia Tradition
 

I'm very excited to announce that the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA is hosting a group portrait show of art by area portrait painters. This is an idea that John Ennis, Garth Herrick and I have been tossing around for some time but we didn't have the time or resources to actually get it together. We have a lot of very talented portrait artists in our area, and portraiture has a long and respectable history, yet the client base is rather cautious and conservative. It is said that people in Philadelphia, as in New England, don't commision portraits, they have portraits. This is an exaggeraton, of course, but the idea of the show is to remind the public of this tradition and demonstrate that it continues today, and get them thinking about the possiblities!

The opening reception is Sunday, October 28, 3-5 p.m.

There will be a group portrait demo on Thursday, November 1, at 7:00 p.m.

There wil be an artists' gallery talk (informal) on Thursday, November 8, at 12:30 p.m.

The participting artists will be: Rachel Constantine, Addie Cooper, Ellen Cooper, John Ennis, Jennifer Frudais, Bill Hanson (sculptor), Glenn Harrington, Garth Herrick, Nancy Bea Miller, Ernie Norcia, Catherine Prescott, Jimm Scannell, and Alexandra Tyng.

If you happen to be in the Philadelphia area, please come and join in the festivities!

Congratulations and thanks for generally giving visibility to our trade!
Ilaria

How wonderful Alex!

This is the kind of positive show the art world definitely needs.

DRAT - I was in Wayne, Pennsylvania on Monday.

Anyway Alex, this is a terrific idea! What a wonderful way for all of you to showcase your talents. I hope you take lots of photos of this event; I'm very excited for all of you.

Incidentally, it also seems to be a Philly tradition to not give the name of the portrait artist on the plaque underneath the portrait. I must have seen twenty portraits in your area over the past week in which the name of the subject is set forth but there is no clue as to who painted the portrait.

Another super idea, Alex. It should be a wonderful show and I wish I could come out and see it.

How wonderful! Congratulations on actually doing it. We've been talking for a long time about doing something similar here in Northern California. We had a group several years ago, the Portrait Art Society which was a charter chapter of ASOPA, who put on a couple of shows and then died. The problem of course is organizing, because we're all busy painting.

How did you go about organizing it?

I wish you great success and a wonderful turn out! It looks like some really good work will be on view.

Good luck to you all.
This group exhibition of portraits seems like a good idea because of the multitude of styles. I believe that I spot your portrait at the bottom left, Alex ?

Thank you all for your responses and encouragement! I can't tell you how much i appreciate the enthusiasm, professionalism, and general support of the forum "community." It does feel good to be doing something for portraiture--"giving visiblity to our trade" as you said, Ilaria. And, Sharon, I am glad you feel it is a positive step for the world of art. That's nice to hear.

Yeah, drat, Linda, how come you have such rotten timing? ;)

Where were you looking at portraits without artists' names? I have noticed that problem, but mostly in hospitals, offices, universities, etc. They hire the artist and then once the job is done they forget there ever was an artist. But Philadelphia is so reserved about everything, it wouldn't surprise me even in a museum.

Thomasin, it's a funny thing how it happened. John Ennis and I tried to organize something local under the umbrella of the PSA but we couldn't get it off the ground. I asked Garth and he thought it was a good idea. We talked to someone at a local museum and they said we would have to make a formal proposal complete with budget! Not what we had in mind at all! In the end it was really not my idea, but the dea of the director of the Wayne Art Center. Maybe I had brought up something to her at one time, I don't remember, but apparently she decided it would be good thing to do, and asked me to help with a few things. It's funny how these things work out.

Hope that answers your question, Pam. I really didn't do any major organization, but I did put together a list of the portrait artists I knew, and did some e-mailing and that sort of thing. The art center added some other names of people they knew including faculty members. So I think the key is finding a director of an organization who is in the position of hosting an exhibition, and who likes the idea. With good work you can't go wrong even if the venue is modest, like a local art center with a good reputation.

Enzie, I'm really excited about the work, too. These artists are great.

Allan, yes, that is my portrait of Julian on the bottom left. There will be a lot of different styles represented, and I agree that will make it much more interesting.

Well, I was wandering around academic institutions and hotel lobbies, brooding about the invisibility of the many fine portrait painters I saw there. One of the differences between 'fine art' and 'work for hire' is that the artist gets to take the public credit (or the blame) for the resulting product. I suppose that in portraiture, there are two other strong competing claims for the visual rights to the product: the subject and the commissioning institution.

Furhtermore, if we were painting icons - devotional pieces which are themselves sacred and divine presences - artists would remain anonymous. Maybe we are painting icons.

Anyway, I suppose we could write it into our contracts that artists should be credited when a portrait is publicly displayed. I'm not sure how this would go over with clients, though; probably not very well.

The best thing to do is what you're doing with this show: reveal that portraits are painted by real artists.

Actually I'd be willing to bet that, if we wrote that into our contracts, no one would bat an eyelash. We are too wimpy :exclamati

Thanks, Linda, I hadn't thought of that angle. It's so elementary, yet so important and shouldn't be glossed over.

Opening reception
 

I'm happy to report that the opening reception went well! in spite of a slight lack of organization with PR efforts, attendance was good and we had some press coverage. We were also able to enlist the help of Al Gury, a painter and Chair of the Painting Departnment at the Pennsylvania Acadamy of Fine Arts. He wrote a short piece on the show and on the history of portraiture in Philadelphia which the art center made available as a handout.

Here are some photos of the opening:

1) A group photo of most of the participating artists.From L to R: Catherine Prescott, Addie Cooper, John Ennis, Ellen Cooper, Nancy Bea Miller, Alex Tyng, Garth Herrick, Ernie Norcia, Jennifer Frudakis, Glenn Harrington.
2) Garth and I with the Director of the Wayne Art Center, in front of Garth's work.
3) Ellen Cooper's work, including her PSA prizewinner centerpiece.
4) Here I'm chatting up a storm in front of my work.

Here are a few more photos:

1) My daughter and a friend (and Garth in middle ground) in front of Catherine Prescott's work.
2) Nancy Bea Miller in front of her work.
3) John Ennis's work (next to Nancy Bea's).

Help, Garth, my photos are not too great! You must have some better ones.

Congratulations! Thank you for the photos, its a beautiful exhibition. I'm so inspired by all of you.

Many thanks for posting the photos, the show looks very elegant, as do you and Garth.
What a shame not being able to see it in person. Many congratulations, how nice to see privately owned works finally on display.
Ilaria

Thank you also for explaining how this show came into being. I remember at the very first PSA conference, California was being called a "cultural wasteland" because so little portraiture was being commissioned here, however we have loads of talented painters. We all keep saying it's a matter of educating the public, and this seems like a terrific way to do that.

What a great show, such a lot of fine works, I wish that I could have been there.
Congratulations to all :thumbsup:

I must have missed this announcement, or was in a hurry if I saw it? I don't remember? Wow!! A sincere congrats Alex and cudos for all the artists and friends that were involved. It is grate when a vision becomes a reality. I so enjoy to see moments like this and the joy it brings. Wonderful!

Thank you for the photos and the update.

One of the most exciting things for an artist is to see your work displayed in public in a great venue such as this. Great going Alex!

What a good looking show, big congratulations to all of you!

Thanks, Pam, Ilaria, Allan, Mischa, Sharon and Linda! It was wonderful seeing all these portraits together in one room. Just standing in the center of the gallery, I realized that portraits have a tremendous impact, a combination of the artist's vision and the presence of the individual looking out from the canvas.

Last night, in conjunction with the exhibit, Garth and I did 2-hour demos at the art center. I'm hoping Garth will post the photos of us with our portraits. Garth painted the Chairman of the Board while I painted the daughter of a patron of the Art Center. It was nervewracking but fun at the same time.

What a super show! I am sure your demos went splendidly Alex and Garth. I wish I could have been there for the opening and for the demos. Congratulations!

Thanks for your encouragement, Thomasin. I might have been a lot MORE nervous knowing you were watching! I must get more practice doing these things. That was my first "public" demo.

Demo photo
 

Here's a photo from Garth's camera, taken by a student of mine. (Thanks, Jeff.)

Great stuff guys!

I hate doing demos. :( You both survived admirably!

Thank you, Sharon. It was very interesting to see how differently Garth and I approached the painting process. I think what you do in the first couple of hours says a lot about an artist. (Just don't ask me WHAT it says. ;) )

Hi Alex,

Thanks for this thread. I'm so late to join in! Thanks to all for the great supportive comments!

I think Alex and I both were surprised we were the only ones to demonstrate painting a portrait, last night; and I tried to pretend there weren't a room full of eyes scrutinizing every brush stroke at first. I think for both of us, it was our first public demonstration experience. All I could think was that I did not want to publically screw up or come to a hesitating point of indecision! The audience had a few tough questions and comments along the way. I did not have a perfect answer for everything, but people seemed adequately entertained and mesmerized by the rapid progress of our portraits. I gradually became acustomed and accepting to the attention we were given.

Friends came out I did not expect: an online friend with the PAFA Fellowship, I never met in person; a devoted student of Studio Incamminati; a professional commercial photographer, who commandeered my camera to document me painting; and a former student. A couple of scheduled evening painting classes took time out to absorb the demonstration too. All very flattering!

My portrait subject was the Chairman of the Board of the Wayne Art Center; a delightful soft-spoken gentleman. He sat casually in a two-hundred year old Sheraton Fancy Chair, I provided, although to be sure, that chair became completely hidden; still I think it suited him well. I began with a neutral toned canvas (not my usual, but the ground was toned with Golden Acrylic's Neutral Grey # 6). This happened to be a great counterpoint to the warm palette of color samples presented by my subject. Building from the middle gray, I first organized the portrait with some darks and shadows, then built some highlight masses on top of the gray. It makes an easy rapid way to paint. Two hours was not quite enough to wrap things up, but that was all the time we had.

Like Alex, I found the experience nervewracking and fun, simultaneously. I possibly appeared to exude more confidence at the easel than I actually felt within. At any rate I was surprised at the positive response from the audience. I somehow expected more critique. It was a rewarding experience! The photos may be a little misleading, in conveying that we possibly smiled and laughed the whole time! I think there were serious questioning moments of decision too.

I was envious Alex had such a pretty girl to paint. She did an admirable portrait of her! I think it was good showmanship on the part of the Art Center to provide two great subject models.

Now for some pictures: Alex already provided the first, but I want to test the color profiling here with another posting.

Next is a closer up shot of me with my portrait (Thanks Lydia).

Third is an action shot from behind (thanks to John Chew, Jr.).

Last is a rehanging of my portraits in the Gallery. The "President Judge" is unveiled.

Garth

I thank you too, Sharon. Alex, for one thing, it shows you have the competance to get more canvas resolved in the alotted time! I can't quite keep up with you. I am afraid to know "what" it says too!

Garth

This is wonderful. Thanks so much for this thread. Congratulations to all in the show. It's good to see so much quality in one place. And it's nice to see the artists.

Thanks so much, Linda!

Actually, Garth, I was thinking, self-deprecatingly, that you put on much more decisive shapes of color and therefore got a more sculptural quality more quickly. Although you put in less detail, the illusion was solid. I think I normally build up my illusion over several days of painting. The first coat was much thinner than yours, and since we had only two hours i had to build on that coat of paint rather than putting down another coat the next day and creating a more solid foundation. As a result, I got farther along but the paint quality was rather ephemeral, not as solid as I would have liked.

Big congratulations to you all!
I wish I could have been there ! It seems that it was a really nice event, with nice demos !

Thank you, Marina!

What a super thread! And what wonderful portraits you painted, Garth and Alex! I'm so proud to know you two. I'm so glad you had a crowd!

Remember, when demoing in public, it's not fear, it's enthusiasm. :D

Thank you, Linda. I'm just as proud to know you. You're the one getting up there and painting from life at the Wallis booth at the PSA, in class, etc., and urging me to "get up there and paint!"

I'll memorize it and repeat it to myself.