College President

[Garth Herrick]

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

[Claudemir Bonfim]

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!

[Garth Herrick]

I like the way you said it first!

Thanks, Bonfim!

Garth

[Alexandra Tyng]

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!

[Garth Herrick]

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

[Enzie Shahmiri]

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.

[Linda Brandon]

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!

[Allan Rahbek]

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.

[Ilaria Rosselli Del Turco]

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

[Marina Dieul]

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.