1st Quarter Journal-2024

FROM THE DESK OF CHRISTINE EGNOSKI

EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found its way into many parts of our lives, from streamlining everyday tasks to revolutionizing industries. However, in the fine arts, its presence is both intriguing and contentious. The blending of AI and art raises profound questions about creativity, originality, and the future of artistic expression.

Proponents of AI in art argue that it offers unprecedented opportunities for exploration and experimentation. Others claim that AI-driven tools empower artists to push the boundaries of their imagination, enabling them to explore new techniques and styles that were previously unattainable. However, critics express apprehensions about the implications of AI for the future of art and human creativity. They argue that reliance on AI algorithms may lead to homogenization and the loss of individual artistic expression. Some of the discussions concerning AI state that as AI learns from existing works, there would be a risk of perpetuating biases and thereby reinforcing established norms, stifling innovation and diversity in artistic output. Then, add to the discussion, the marketing of AI-generated art which raises questions about authenticity and the value of the human hand in the creative process. All of this makes for a complicated and confusing conversation.

Two years ago, Jason Allen won first place in the emerging artist division at the Colorado State Fair. His entry, titled Théâtre D’opéra Spatial was created with Midjourney, an AI program that can produce detailed images when fed written prompts. His winning entry was one of the first AI created pieces to win such a prize, and it set off a fierce backlash from artists that accused him of cheating. Critics claim these apps are a high-tech form of plagiarism.

This is where much of the discussion lies – when talking about AI-generated art, you cannot ignore the ethical concerns regarding authorship and ownership. Who owns the rights to AI-generated artworks? Should AI be credited as a co-creator alongside human artists? These questions create even more concerns and challenge the understanding of intellectual property in the digital age.

At a recent board meeting, we discussed AI-generated work at length and if it should be a category in any of the Portrait Society competitions. The board could see the potential of the medium to inspire innovation but also discussed the negative impact AI could have on individual creativity and the ethical dilemmas regarding authorship and authenticity. The board unanimously agreed that, for now, the Portrait Society should focus on works created by the human hand, through traditional means, but keep discussing AI as it continues to evolve and become integrated into many facets of our lives, including art.

Christine Egnoski Executive Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

4

9

First Place NonCommissioned: Tina Figarelli, To Bury A Friend, 10x11”, oil on panel

Board Members

Michael Shane Neal, Chair, Nashville, Tennessee

Dawn Whitelaw, Vice-Chair, Franklin, Tennessee

Wende Caporale-Greene, Treasurer/Secretary, Woodbury, Connecticut

Quang Ho, Denver, Colorado

Mary Whyte, Charleston, South Carolina

Executive Director

Christine Egnoski

Advisory Board

Sam Adoquei, New York, New York

James Gurney, Rhinebeck, New York

Robert Liberace, Vienna, Virginia

Dean Mitchell, Tampa, Florida

Rhoda Sherbell, N.A., Westbury, New York

Burton Silverman, N. A., New York, New York

Jennifer Welty, Santa Cruz, California

Staff & Newsletter Contributors

Kim Azzarito, Assistant Director

Amanda Oliver, Membership Director

Allison Gilliard, Special Programs and Outreach

Kerry Vosler, Writer, State Ambassador Coordinator

Wende Caporale-Greene, Writer, Board Member

Scott Jones, Writer, Washington State Ambassador

Mailing address:

Portrait Society of America

P.O. Box 11272

Tallahassee, FL 32302

Shipping address: 1109 S. Magnolia Ave.

Tallahassee, FL 32301

Toll free Telephone: 1-877-772-4321

Fax: 850-222-7890

Web: www.portraitsociety.org

The Art of the Portrait® Newsletter is published quarterly by the Portrait Society of America. All contents copyright Portrait Society (unless otherwise noted). No part or whole of this newsletter may be reproduced or transmitted in any form unless prior express consent has been given. Please send submissions to the editor at the Portrait Society.

Design

Charity Myers I THE CREATIVE POOL DESIGN charity@thecreativepooldesign.com

Jason Allen’s A.I.-generated work, Théâtre D’opéra Spatial

Julia Maddalina, Red Handed Jill, 16x20”, oil on board

Carla Paine, Woman with Embroidered Headscarf, 26x36”, oil on linen

Samuel Walter, Portrait of Monika, 12x16”, oil on linen

Chantel Barber, She Wanted to be Beautiful, 9x12”, acrylic

ROSE FRANTZEN: CREATING A LEGACY

By Kate Orr

Imagine painting 180 life-size alla prima portraits in less than a year! I’d venture to say that most of us wouldn’t even know where to begin with such a project. How many of us would deem it impossible? Never one to balk at a challenge, Rose Frantzen accomplished this remarkable feat with her series, ‘Portraits of Maquoketa.’

Renting a small space along Main Street in rural Iowa, Rose opened this temporary studio to the people of her hometown. One by one, she painted portraits of 180 men, women, and children.

This impressive collection of 12x12” portraits includes people of all ages and social statuses within Maquoketa. From a newborn baby to a senior 90+ years young, Rose extended an impartial and open invitation to whomever would sit for her. Despite admittedly (and inevitably) having harder days, every single portrait reflects Rose’s careful study and sincere interest in the model. Showing the beauty and value in ordinary people beautifully displays Rose’s care for others, for their individuality, their stories, and their unique beauty.

This empathy radiates from Rose’s other paintings as well. Huge, stretched canvases represent themes of life, visibility, and culture with Rose’s distinct blend of lifelike figures and purposeful abstraction. From lavender landscapes to multifigure compositions, Rose’s paintings draw you in, telling stories of places and people.

In her book Portraits of Maquoketa, Rose describes the experience of painting someone from life: “Throughout the painting session, each person became more and more beautiful to me… There are ways people hold themselves that are revealing; I would sometimes see expressions cross their faces that I knew I shouldn’t paint. I pushed it as far as I could, but sometimes I couldn’t take people all the way.”

This vulnerability and exquisite perception are only visible to someone who sees with their heart. If an artist cares to paint representationally and seeks to capture more than a straightforward likeness, they look for those subtleties that give soul to a painting. Earlier in her book, Rose states: “While I paint, I think about accuracy and placement, but likeness is this thing I feel… I begin to feel the person in the painting can breathe.”

Too often as artists, we can succumb to the instinct to try to paint exactly what we see, without incorporating that remarkable gift: creativity. On the other hand, when we feel incapable of accurately depicting someone/something, we can fall into a habit of blindly using abstraction to hide the problem areas.

Rose displays such tenacity and fervor in her work, both through her excellence of technique and the colorful brushstrokes that so clearly express her ardor. The proposition alone of painting 180 portraits is daunting, to say the least, but Rose’s original intention was to paint every person in her hometown! Such is the passion that she thrives on, that the only limiter of her goals and dreams is finite time to work with.

Isn’t her fearlessness contagious? As artists we are by nature creative and curious people, full of ideas and vision. Our potential is often shackled by fear of different kinds- fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of inadequacy.

But what happens when we push through our fears? Imagine the fulfillment and excitement that doing so could bring, both for yourself and others! Rose is an inspiring example of this. We each have a story to tell, and Rose’s dazzling legacy demonstrates her desire to not only share her own story, but to shine light on other’s narratives as well.

1. Mrs. Zimmerman, 42x50”, oil

2. Rose Frantzen in her studio with a client

3. Some of the paintings from Portraits of Maquoketa

4. Perhaps an Impossible Home for Invisible Dreams, 48x50”, oil on linen

Rose’s empathy for others and artwork filled with their stories has already created a legacy that extends beyond her as an individual. As her career continues to grow, Rose as an artist is all the greater because she cares about others. This will only strengthen with time as we see with other masters. Richard Schmid is an excellent example of this. A masterful artist himself, he not only constantly practiced and created but also poured love, knowledge, and experience into students and other artists. Isolated artists are ubiquitous, but the artists who are drawn to others and draw others to them leave an extraordinarily rich legacy that will last generations. It is artists like Rose who change the world.

A DAY IN THE LIFE: PART TWO

By Wende Caporale-Greene

In the previous quarter’s issue, I shared Part One of my interview with Burton Silverman on the occasion of his exhibition Reflections: The Art of Burton Silverman at the Salmagundi Club in New York last October. In an attempt to complete the thoughts expressed by Burt, below is the second part of our conversation. This is a rare opportunity to read Burt’s observations on the evolution of Realism, its place in the contemporary art world, and his philosophy of teaching. Burt’s lifelong dedication to Realism went against the grain at the onset and throughout his career, but it has certainly had a significant effect on the appreciation of figurative work by its younger proponents.

Caporale-Greene: How would you like to be remembered in the context of the history of Realism?

Silverman: What I hope is somehow or other I will be recognized for the differences in my work from my contemporaries both in form and content. I would hope that the paintings survive in the way that was expressed so overwhelmingly by that person who wrote to you about the impact it had on their feelings. Beyond that, which is clearly more than enough, I have no idea what that legacy ought to be.

As for that other world, in which abstraction is uniformly understood to be the historically important artistic form, it is almost totally indifferent to me and my realist contemporaries. That is almost a given by most of us.

You take the small victories where you can find them. Back in 1993, Morley Safer, who, I must confess, was a personal friend, ran a segment on 60 Minutes about Jeff Koons. Koons’ then-exhibition included one work that consisted of an old Electrolux Vacuum cleaner encased in plexiglass. He’d supposedly elevated these ordinary objects to an art form. (I’m sure somewhere in the afterlife, Duchamp is snickering.) Safer couldn’t help but question the value and quality of Koons’ art—he nearly called it fakery—and made his skepticism clear to his audience of 70 million.

The segment evoked widespread, vitriolic condemnation from major art critics, all of whom got on their high horse and insisted on both their own cultural superiority and the lack of sophistication on the part of this so-called journalist who dared to challenge their judgment. If I recall, the Village Voice ran a story with a huge all-caps headline that read: “Morley Madness.” For those of us invested in the realist project, it really felt like the lady doth protest way too much. If Safer was so wrong about the emperor having no clothes, why all the outrage? Unless of course he hit a nerve.

Caporale-Greene: I know you taught for many years both in your Manhattan studio and the Art Students League of New York, can you reflect on that?

Silverman: At the end of my teaching life, I found there were a number of artists who, when dealing with the human figure, were only painting nudes. This seemed counterproductive to me. If the goal is to say something not just about the model but about the artist’s response to that model, how they function in everyday life, in my opinion, opens up a wider variety of

A Model, oil on wood

options. As a teacher, I wanted to give my students the greatest array of choices, so they could find their own path and define their own styles. Most importantly, I stressed that whenever possible, my students should try to draw from life. You never know what you’ll encounter. In that way, realism is as much a way of thinking and feeling as it is a formal stylistic device.

Caporale-Greene: How do you see the role of portraiture going forward?

Silverman: We know what a portrait is supposed to look like, and of course, there are some fairly strict formal limitations. I think the commissioned portraits I’ve done have presented some of the most challenges. On the one hand, you have a client who’d like to look a certain way, or see their best qualities highlighted. The challenge for me is checking off those boxes while finding ways to make a portrait visually different, more acutely observed, and hopefully better than all the others I’ve done. How can I make a man in a nice gray suit, white shirt, and red tie different from the last man in a nice gray suit? Take what my old friend Aaron Shikler did in his portrait of John F. Kennedy. It broke nearly all the rules, yet still managed to capture something essential. Because he was able to square that circle, it’s now considered a classic, but these discussions about how portraiture can continue to grow and advance should be part of the agenda of the Portrait Society, and perhaps its most important one.

Caporale-Greene: Do you think universities should continue to teach “art”? Should there be a broader emphasis on an updated Art History? Or at the very least, a chronology of the various movements?

Silverman: I think so, yes. There’s space for a different way of seeing art history. For example, Vermeer could be better viewed as a kind of genre painter or documentarian of the prosaic, like Norman Rockwell, but without the saccharine cuteness. This is not intended as a slight, but just the opposite. Instead of fretting about whether or how he used a camera obscura to make his work, historians could deal with why his paintings became so popular. To some extent all of what is called great art are illustrations. Official art history hates the word because it suggests something ordinary. Art, after all, is “special.” I think the lines that are drawn between illustrators and true artists are a lot blurrier than the popular conception.

Wende Caporale-Greene is an award-winning artist and nationally known teacher of portraiture. She is a Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America and serves on the boards of the Artists’ Fellowship, Hudson Valley Art Association, and the Portrait Society of America

End Game, 52x36“, oil

state ambassador

The Ambassador program has been an amazing part of our Portrait Society of America member services. It serves to foster community at the local level and has historically been a favorite member service. Would you consider becoming an Ambassador in your state?  We are looking for Ambassadors for the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Apply to become an Ambassador under the Services tab on the website. Contact your Ambassador by clicking on their name on the State Ambassadors page.

Here are a few of our first quarter 2024 highlights.

Our newest ambassador, Wendy Roberts (Hawaii), held her first Zoom meeting in March and is looking forward to getting to know our Hawaii members in the coming year.

Donna Catotti (Alaska) announced that Kerry Dunn will again teach a Studio Incamminati portrait workshop on June 3-7, 2024, in Haines, AK.

Janelle Hatherly (Australia/New Zealand) said our “DownUnder” members have grown to 50 members and have become a robust group with regular activities throughout the year. Their last gathering was an impromptu lunch meeting at Tina Garrett’s workshop hosted by the Royal Art Society of NSW, Sydney.

Andrea Steinbauer (Europe/United Kingdom) will host their second Zoom Meet and Greet in April. The first European member newsletter was published in March of 2024.

Dianna Porter (Indiana) is in the beginning stages of planning this year’s Hancock County Arts exhibit and Face for Radio event on Friday, August 9, 2024. Members from Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Michigan should stay tuned for ways they can participate this year.

Suzanne Beck (Minnesota) is excited for The Portrait Showcase of Minnesota Members that will run from April 20 to May 30, 2024, at the Zeller Studio & Gallery, Hopkins, MN. The Opening Reception is on May 2nd from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Billy Seccombe (New Jersey) hosted a New Jersey member paint-out at the Monmouth Battlefield in Manalapan, NJ on March 17th, 2024. The day culminated with a small wine tasting at Wemrock Orchards.

Len DeAngelis (Rhode Island) and fellow members look forward to sketching sessions in Jamestown this Spring.

Nora Dempsey (Texas) is planning an Artist Retreat in Fredericksburg in October, featuring tours, photo shoots, and plein air painting. It will be an art immersion week to be with fellow artists and get lots of motivation.

Stacy Minch and Shari Lyon (Utah) are happy to report Utah members are active and thriving with several members who host regular open drawing/painting sessions where other Portrait Society members can socialize and paint together.

Scott Jones (Washington) hosts a paint-out in Edmonds on April 13th. Watch for a new repository of contact information for regular life and figurative open sessions around the state.

Kathie Wheeler (Wisconsin) and the Richeson School of Art in Kimberly, WI, hosted members to draw and paint from the live model. They spent the remainder of the day enjoying a private viewing of the Richeson Permanent Art Collection and the current exhibitions (pictured above).

Kerry Vosler National Ambassador Coordinator

winners of competition

MEMBERS ONLY COMPETITION WINNERS FOR 2023

For the past 19 years, the Portrait Society has hosted a competition for our members only. We received an overwhelming total of 1,290 entries with the quality of works reaching yet another level of excellence. The judges based their selections on a specific set of criteria that included fundamental skill development, technical proficiency within the potential of the meduim, originality and uniqueness in concept and design, and aesthetic sophistication. The following pages feature this year’s award winners. Thank you to all the members that participated and were part of another great collection of creative work.

COMMISSIONED PORTRAIT

1st Place: Mardie Rees

Saint Anne, 76x50x40”, clay for bronze

2nd Place: MingYang Zhang

Dasha, 48x27”, oil

3rd Place: Joseph Daily

Dr. Sandra Jordan, 39x50”, oil

4th Place: Xin Fang

Huang WenBi, 78.7x30.3x21.6”, bronze

5th Place: Aapo Pukk

Mirjam, Elli and Emma, 35.5x24”, oil

6th Place: Nanci France-Vaz

7th Place: Howard Lyon

8th Place: Samuel Hoskins

9th Place: Tom Edgerton

10th Place: Impas Florentino Jr

COMMISSIONED PORTRAIT

1st Place: Mardie Rees

NON-COMMISSIONED PORTRAIT

1st Place: Tina Figarelli

OUTSIDE THE BOX

1st Place: Sherrie McGraw

LANDSCAPE

1st Place: Hsin-Yao Tseng

ANIMALS AS THE SUBJECT

1st Place: Brenda Matsen

Finalists (alpha order): Daud Akhriev, Jose Antonio Bedolla, Ned Bittinger, John Borowicz, Melissa Breault, Katherine Buchanan, Alan Clarke, Ellen Cooper, Sandra Corpora, Camille Day, Valori Fussell, Carol Kirby, Robert Maniscalco, Shi Mei, Ted Nuttall, Carol Peebles, Connie L Reilly, Peter Smeeth, Jennifer Stallone Riddell, Alexandra Tyng, Robin Williamson

2

3

4

5

NON-COMMISSIONED PORTRAIT

1st Place: Tina Figarelli

To Bury A Friend, 10x11”, oil on panel

2nd Place: Daud Akhriev Tatiana, 30x22”, pastel on toned paper

3rd Place: Anne Singer

Maine Me, 20x16”, oil

4th Place: Crystal Despain

Little Dreamer, 12x16”, oil

5th Place: Kevin Chambers

Mr. Leonaitis, 18x9x9”, fired terra cotta

6th Place: David Jamieson

7th Place: Qiuzhen Wei

8th Place: Susan O’Neill

9th Place: Maria Battista

10th Place: Mike Wimmer

Finalists (alpha order): Anna Rose Bain, Debra Balchen, Jose Antonio Bedolla, Kim Bernadas, Ned Bittinger, Annabella Boatwright, Linda Brandon, Jie Cai, Robin Cole, Raiñer Duhaylungsod, Kim Gorrasi, Jaq Grantford, Liz Harris, Jean Hildebrant, Carter Jones, Lisa Kovvuri, Megan Lawlor, Judith Leeds, Patrick McGannon, Chongsun Oh, Corey Pitkin, Daniel Robbins, Deborah Schlossman, Oliver Sin, Chantal Sulkow, Louise Weir, Yuezhi Zhang, Ligang Zheng

2

3

OUTSIDE THE BOX

1st Place: Sherrie McGraw

Spanish Cristo, 28x24”, oil

2nd Place: Dana Hawk Joyride, 30x60”, oil

3rd Place: Kathy Morris

Don’t Let Go, 11x18”, egg tempera

4th Place: E. Melinda Morrison

Tomorrow is Another Day, 24x30”, egg tempera

5th Place: Ali Cavanaugh

Fiona, 24x24”, watercolor on panel

6th Place: Katie Hogan

7th Place: Kevin Macpherson

8th Place: Jen Starling

9th Place: Deborah Schlossman

10th Place: Tanja Gant

Finalists (alpha order): Daud Akhriev, Dominique Bisson, Ned Bittinger, Olena Burykina, Mary Chiaramonte Carroll, Chris Clamp, Denise Dambrackas, Tim Dose, Nanci FranceVaz, Rosanna Gaddoni, David Goatley, Catherine Hafer,

Natalie Hirschman, Primary Hughes, Shana Levenson, Howard Lyon, Laurie Maddalina, Brian McClear, Daniel Robbins, Charles Young Walls

1

2

3

LANDSCAPE

1st Place: Hsin-Yao Tseng

City Progression, 30x30”, oil

2nd Place: Lori Putnam

Colors of the Southwest, 36x48”, oil

3rd Place: Jing Zhao

Street Singer, 18x18”, oil

4th Place: David McLeod

Fearless Mother, 36x24”, oil

5th Place: Daud Akhriev

Evening Reflections, 20x14”, watercolor

6th Place: Aapo Pukk

7th Place: Jiaxuan Yi

8th Place: Qiuzhen Wei

9th Place: Matteo Caloiaro

10th Place: John Suh

Finalists (alpha order):

Suzie Baker, Barbara Benton, Carol Berning, Donna Catotti, Stephanie Chang, Mary Chiaramonte Carroll, Joseph Daily, Grace DeVito, Gavin Glakas, Diego Glazer, Thomas Caleb Goggans, Christina Kent, Jessica Lewis, Craig Pursley, Daniel Robbins, William Schneider, Meghan Sours, Doreen StJohn, Alexandra Tyng, MingYang Zhang

1

2 3

4 5

ANIMALS AS THE SUBJECT

1st Place: Brenda Matsen

Bighorn, 8.4x10.5”, pastel

2nd Place: Suzanne Barrett Justis

Heralding of the Bugler, 48x36”, oil

3rd Place: Ken Corbett

Big Horn Monument, 24x30”, oil

4th Place: Felicia Feldman

Beloved, 18x18”, oil

5th Place: Mary Chiaramonte Carroll

The Victor, 12x12”, acrylic, ink and graphite

6th Place: Rosanna Gaddoni

7th Place: Leah Hopkins Henry

8th Place: Atanas Mihaltchev

9th Place: Catherine Hafer

10th Place: Janet Maines

Finalists (alpha order): Naomi Allen, Kurt Anderson, Annabella Boatwright, Linda Brandon, Mary Ross Buchholz, John Buxton, Jamie Cassaboon, Joseph Daily, Eva Evangelista, Tina Figarelli, Eddy Greenwood, Shuai Han, Anthony Hedrick, Krystii Melaine, Linda Reynolds, Melissa Selcow, Erin Schulz, Alexandra Telgmann, Oyunaa Waskin, Jeanne Whitney

1

THE JOY OF LEARNING & THE ART OF FOLLOWING YOUR HEART

By Katherine Galbraith

One thing is certain; the more I teach, the more I learn.  There are so many technical lessons: lessons about values, lessons about color, lessons about edges, lessons about composition, lessons about materials.  We need to master all these skills and train our eyes to see, calculate, and arrange the elements of our painting in order to create a good work.

But there are a few lessons that fall into none of these categories. I have come to believe they may be the most important lessons of all.  These are more ephemeral lessons that help us create the paintings that come from our hearts.  Lessons that keep the joy of learning alive and help us to follow our hearts.

1.  The first, and most important lesson, is to allow ourselves to fall in love with the beauty around us.  Here I’m paraphrasing several well-known artists: Dan Gerhartz OPAM, Kathie Odom OPA, and the late Richard Schmid.  I heartily agree.  The first workshop I took, about 5-6 years ago, was from Michelle Dunaway at The Barn in Putney, VT. One of the first things Michelle said, quoting her mentor, Richard Schmid, was this “No camera ever fell in love with its subject, but every artist does”.  I remember thinking, oh my gosh, I’ve always felt this way, but thought maybe I was crazy!  Certainly, I’d never heard another artist say anything like this. Immediately I knew I was in the right place.

Our very best works are those created when the subject moved us deeply, spoke to our souls, and created a sense of wonder and awe within us.  I’ve often been told, “I don’t see what you see!”  But this is teachable.  What I cannot teach is how to fall in love with your subject.  That has to come from within.  When you become so motivated by the scene in front of you, whether it’s a portrait, landscape, or still life, you’re hooked!  When the play of light across the scene dazzles your eye and engages your mind, you have already begun a fine painting, whether or not you even have a canvas in front of

The Beautiful Shawl, 20x16", oil on linen

you.  Beauty is the job of the artist – finding it, appreciating it, and presenting it to the world so that they can see it, too.  I’ve always considered this a sacred trust; the special gift God has given artists that keeps us motivated and on fire.

2.  The second most important lesson is self-confidence mixed with a healthy dose of humility. Now this one is tough, because it takes so much work on the part of the student to develop the skills and the eye to trust their instincts.  Trust me on this one, I’m still learning.  But the more we paint, the more we surround ourselves with people who desire our success and don’t hesitate to point out areas where we are succeeding, the faster we can go down this path.  I think a lot us have that nasty little voice in our heads telling us how far short we are falling, and if we listen, we wind up ruining a shocking number of paintings that had real potential.  I’m always telling my students, we are all beginners!  Every one of us started out as a beginner, even the very best artists, so don’t be too hard on yourself.  Some will stay the course, some won’t.  Life may have other ideas for you, and that’s fine.  But for those of you who want to continue to pursue excellence in art, stay away from those who are way too good at finding fault.  The world is full of them.  It’s a much

faster learning curve to play from your strengths rather than always focusing on your weaknesses.  I’m not talking about Pollyanna friends who only tell you what they think you want to hear; I’m speaking of the true friend who recognizes your gift.  We all need encouragement and honest criticism.  Here’s another way of putting it:  if you teach, do you teach your students to paint like you, or is your goal to give them the skills to paint like themselves?  We all have an artistic voice; it’s as natural as speaking or handwriting, but if the student’s goal is to learn to paint like the instructor, that voice is going to be hard to find.  Choose an instructor who will be able to help you become the best artist you can be.

3.  Which leads me to the third most important lesson: learn to value yourself and your art.  You have a gift, you have a voice, and you’re learning the skills.  Now it’s time to value your art and respect it.  You’re giving so much of your heart, soul, skills, and time to your art, don’t demean it.  If you’re not sure about the value of your work, ask someone you trust to help you evaluate your work.  Sometimes we can’t see it for ourselves.   We artists are tender souls!  We are so easily beaten up by shows that pass us by.  This is a good thing in many ways.  It

A Quiet Cove, 20x20", oil on linen

raises the bar for us and teaches us not to take ourselves too seriously.  Also, if we’re smart, we’ll go through the accepted works and carefully (and honestly!) look at the qualities that made one work more “juryable” than another.  And there’s plenty more blank canvases waiting for you…  The best painting any of us has ever done is…the next one.

4.  And finally, the last most important lesson is this: never forsake the love of learning and following your heart!

Challenge yourself – there’s always more to learn, more to see, more ways to see, and more ways to paint.

I’m fascinated by artists who experiment and really push the envelope.  Quang Ho OPAM is a great example.  When talking about a trip to the mountains of West Virginia in the fall, he said he pulled over to the side of the road, took out his painting equipment, and started hiking.  Before long, he was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the forest he put away his paints, and just continued to hike, soaking up the experience of being enveloped by the amazing world he was experiencing.  Instead of painting for two weeks, he took the opportunity to immerse himself in the beauty that surrounded him.  Within a year, he was creating some of the most dynamic, original, and beautiful paintings of his career.  It’s so exciting to see what others are creating.  It’s a big, beautiful world out there, full of so many interesting things and people who have much to teach us.

Last summer I spent all my time working on one project, “Painting the Faces of Chautauqua”.  I painted as many portraits as I could of the people who live in our little farm and winery community.  It was such an eye opener for me!  Some of the most interesting people were the farmers and laborers – no one checked their mascara or lipstick, I can tell you!  But it was such an enriching experience, on both sides of the easel.  I gave myself a 3-hour limit per painting.  It was encouraging to see my work improve over the summer.  In the end I painted 44 portraits, and I had the joy of getting to know all these wonderful people!  Just getting to paint a bald head was a treat, to see the skin without muscle beneath it, stretched over the skull: I was in heaven.  And, since they were not paying me, they had no input!  To be fair, only one person asked me to change anything.  Most everyone thanked me profusely for opening their eyes to the world of art.  In the fall we had a reception open to the community to view the portraits.  It was packed!  Everyone had a good time finding themselves and their friends “in paint”.

You just never know where things will take you if you follow your heart, so don’t be afraid to take up a challenge. It could change your life.

A native of Memphis, TN, Katherine always knew she wanted to be a figurative painter. After college, Katherine received a Full Merit Scholarship at the National Academy of Design in NYC where she studied portraiture under Daniel E. Greene, NA. Over the years Katherine has broadened her subject matter to include landscapes and still lifes. She is a Signature Member of the Portrait Society, Oil Painters of America, NOAPS, and American Women Artists.

Magnificent Creature, 14x11", oil on panel

BUILDING BRIDGES: NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE ART WORLD

I did a presentation at the Portrait Society years ago where I showed a tattered yellow pad that was taped together with artists’ names that I had been keeping for 25 plus years. I would jot down their name, where I met them, where I saw a particular painting and the title, where I read something about them, the artist who mentioned their name, a contest they entered, a show they were juried into, and so forth. At that time, I had just over 200 artists on the pages. I referred to it as my “artists I want to know better” list. I ended up representing many of them. The list has grown and now resides on a spreadsheet. I was asked during that presentation, “How do I get on your list?”

1. For the sake of brevity, I will lump Mentorship and Teaching together. I pay special attention to who is mentoring whom in the art world. I am drawn to artists who mentor other artists. I also watch artists who seek mentorship with outstanding artists. Based on my experiences at the Scottsdale Artists’ School, I also follow which artists are teaching workshops. I truly believe that teaching others makes you a better artist. There is an adage that the teacher learns more than the students. I know that was true when I taught Cost Accounting at Purdue University. I came into the art world from the business world to see artists teaching others their techniques and what has helped them to be successful. That is so unique in a world of patents and trademarks. I do “crash” workshops. I want to meet and see artists in action. Plus, I look at the students in the workshop in hopes of starting a new relationship.

2. Why do I attend the Portrait Society Conference every year? I was asked this the first year I attended, “Why are you here? You’re a western art gallery?” It surprised people that two of the finalists that year were scheduled to do a major show together with us later that year. Their finalist paintings were the headliners for that show. I also couldn’t help but answer, “Have you ever looked at western art? It’s the one genre of art outside of commissioned portraiture and religious art where representational figurative art has flourished over the past half century!” I believe artists benefit from the comradery and basic people skills of attending conferences, art fairs, plein air events, open studios, gallery/museum exhibitions, and interacting with their peers. I know it is difficult for some. What forces you out of your comfort zone in dealing with the public is good for your art! As does pushing yourself to paint a variety of subjects and mediums.

3. I am touring ateliers and artist studios around the country. Part of my “retirement” travel plans. There has never been a better time to get exceptional training as an artist. It is important to me to know more about these opportunities, including online programs, so I can give ideas and suggestions when asked. Louis Carr at East Oaks Studio and I recently had a conversation that was live-streamed. We discussed artist newsletters and mailing lists. I want to stress how vital your

By Scott Jones

lists are. You should send out a newsletter at least monthly. I like to see three things in a newsletter.

a. Something new that is available and how and where it can be purchased.

b. What you are currently working on or a project that is upcoming. I want to invest my time and energy into what you are going to do next.

c. A glimpse into you as a person. It might be a museum visit, an art show you visited, a book you like, someone you painted with, or a dream of yours. Something that allows me to see what excites and inspires you as a person and artist. I was pleased that within a couple of days of that conversation, three artists reached out to me to let me know they had sent out a neglected newsletter and made sales. Don’t neglect people who are already vested in what you do. I often sign up for newsletters on an artist’s website only to be disappointed to never receive one. Send each of your gallery’s staff your newsletter.

4. Artsy posted a survey of galleries on how they find artists. The number one way was from other artists. Thus, the importance of the previous points.

See you in Atlanta!

Questions welcomed at scottjonesfineart@gmail.com or scottjonesfineart on Instagram.

Scott Jones has been a passionate art collector since the age of 16, and after a successful exit from the business world, shifted his focus to his passion, selling art. He is currently a Sales Consultant for Cole Gallery in Edmonds, Washington and serves as State Ambassador of Washington for the Portrait Society.

Conference attendees mingle and socialize prior to the gala banquet, making new acquaintances and reconnecting with old.

1. Loryn Brazier was recently invited to the Virginia State Capitol for the unveiling ceremony of her portraits of Senator Norment, Senator Howell, Senator Hanger, and Senator Barker. Pictured is Loryn with Senator Howell and her portrait.

2. Nanci France-Vaz received a grant from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship program, administered by Mid Atlantic Arts, in the painting category for professional artists. She will use the grant to help fund her two different series to exhibit.

3. Catherine Hafer’s painting The Grass is Always Greener received the Almenara Collection Award at the AAPL Grand National Exhibition, reserving the painting a spot in the Almenara Art Prize Exhibit 2024, in Cordoba, Spain.

4. Tricia Kaman was awarded a solo exhibition for winning Best of Show at Mentor Ohio’s 2023 Art Exhibition. The winning painting and many of her favorite pieces over five decades were on display.

5. Kevin Macpherson was awarded Best Plein Air Acrylic in the 13th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition for his painting Sicily Salt Flats

6. Larry McAdams’ recent painting, Effervescent, was purchased by the prestigious Hilbert Museum of California Art in Orange County, CA.

7. Linda Harris Reynolds’ work Best Friends was part of a select group of works by the Pastel Society of America’s 51st Annual Exhibition “Enduring Brilliance” at the Butler Museum. This piece also received the PSA American Art Materials award.

8. Billy Seccombe’s commission of Hubert Huntley was presented recently to the board of Union County College. Dean Huntley was the first dean of the college in the 1930s.

9. Andrea Steinbauer’s painting was accepted as a Finalist in Munich’s Oktoberfest contest; the competition chooses the official artwork to represent the world’s largest folk festival in 2024.

exhibitions

1. Debra Keirce’s solo show entitled “Experiences Big and Small” opens July 5-29, 2024, at Smith Galleries in historic Harrisonburg, VA. The reception is on Friday, July 5 from 5:00pm-7:00pm, and Debra will give a demonstration on Saturday, July 13 from 10:00am-2:00pm.

2. Several Portrait Society members were selected as finalists in the ModPortrait 2023 competition. These artists will be part of the exhibition at the MEAM Museum in Barcelona from May 17 to September 15, 2024: Alessandra Marrucchi, Arina Gordienko, Bertrand Martin, Eddy Greenwood, Jianwu Tan, Jie Cai, Liu Shuang, and Chelsie Nicole Murfee.

Pictured: Bertrand Martin, The Yellow Coat, Acrylic and Oil on canvas, 120x120cm

workshops

3. Kerry Dunn is teaching a Portrait Painting Workshop in Haines, AK, June 3-7, 2024, through Studio Incamminati. Students will learn how to get a better likeness through more accurate drawing, how to use flesh tones to build the forms, how to apply color to a longer pose, and how to put it all together with further development and finishing. Learn more and register at studioincamminati.org or contact Donna Catotti at catotti.alaska@ yahoo.com.

4. Alicia Ponzio has a workshop scheduled August 19-23, 2024 in Amsterdam at Figura Dutch Academy of Figurative Sculpture. Meet Alicia there to explore the seated figure in clay. For more information and to register, visit figura-sculpture.com.

5. Tim Rees is teaching “The Portrait in Landscape” workshop at Scottsdale Artists’ School, May 20-24, 2024. Tim will guide students through the process of combining oil landscape sketches with studio model work to create fluid and natural paintings of a portrait in the landscape. Learn more and register at scottsdaleartschool.org.

6. Paul Schulenburg will teach a portrait and figure painting workshop at the Chatham Creative Arts Center, Cape Cod, MA, May 18-19, 2024. Paul will demonstrate his approach to capturing likeness and gesture each morning, then students will have the chance to work on their own piece with guided instruction. For more info and to register, visit capecodcreativearts.org.

7. Oliver Sin is teaching several Expressive Portrait Drawing Workshops this year. Join him June 3-7, 2024, at the Dutch Art Atelier in Haarlem, Netherlands. Learn more and register at dutchartatelier.com. You can also study with him July 18-21, 2024, at Amarillo Art Institute in Amarillo, Texas (artsinthesunset.org).

8. Dan Thompson is teaching an Anatomy Drawing workshop at Miano Academy of Art, May 18-19, 2024. This drawing workshop teaches students an interpretive array of structural, anatomical tools as elements of close observation. Register online at mianoacademy.org.

9. Kerry Vosler will be teaching a two-part Drawing Workshop June 3-7 and June 10-14, 2024. The first week’s focus is on the skull, to include neck and shoulders. The second week layers major muscles of the head. This workshop is for mature teens and adults. Learn more at www. vosleryoungartistsstudio.com.

10. Mary Whyte will be taking a group of artists to Puglia, Italy, this May 19-25, 2024. Mary will guide you through the techniques of painting the best portrait, figure and landscape paintings, along with planning your compositions, drawing, mixing color and creating great backgrounds. Learn more and register at marywhyte.com.

renewals & new members

RENEWING MEMBERS

A special THANK YOU to our renewing members in December, January, February

DECEMBER

Patron

Annette Alessi, PA

Sami Ali, AK

Toshiko K. Beeman, CA

Adra Anne Brown, FL

Janis Chrane, AL

Buell Cole, FL

Lauren Dancy, WA

Marian J. Flahavin, WA

Anne Maree Healey, RI

Carla Hefley, OK

Tim Hodge, TN

Julia Bythewood Hodges, GA

Lucie Langlois, FL

Scot Lasher, PA

Teresa Mattos, CA

Franklin Mendez, TX

Sharron Mikrut, CA

Ruth P. Norwood, FL

Alain Picard, CT

Jody McDonald Rider, MI

Joan Scudder, MA

Mary Lynn Smith, TN

Bobbie Suratt, MA

Pat Terry, TX

Ginny Terry, MS

Nancy Van Buskirk, CA

Kerry L. Vosler, FL

Sheila Wolff, FL

Mary Lou Wyman, ID

Linda Zenke, GA

Faculty Patron Member

Joseph Daily, NY

Faculty Member

Paul Newton, Australia

Dominique Medici, WA

Liz Lindstrom, TX

General

Marlin Adams, GA

Dustin Adamson, CA

Mary Alderson, TX

Deborah Allison, NM

Cheryl Arnold, GA

Diana J. Austin, AZ

Chad Awalt, GA

Richard Barnett, CA

Chris Benavides, OH

Nancy Boren, TX

Carol Boynton, CT

Lily Braff, NC

Lon Brauer, IL

Michael Patrick Brennan, CA

Heather Brunetti, KY

Susan Budash, TN

Debra Butler, CO

Annette Campbell, UT

Lucille Carter, TX

Jacqueline Chanda, AZ

Kay Crain, MO

Robert Daley, PA

Bill Daniel, GA

Naomi Segal Deitz, OR

Mika Denny, CA

Carol Devereaux, TX

Grace Devito, CT

Swapna Dharashivkar, KY

JoDette di Domizio, GA

Christine Angelotta Dixon, VA

Diana Djibirova, NY

Chris Duke, VA

Karen Eclavea, WI

McGarren Flack, UT

Christine Freeman, AL

GuoFang Ghaffarian, CA

Debra Joy Groesser, NE

Patricia Hanszen, TX

Aron Hart, WA

Neil Heimsoth, MO

Kara Holman, DC

Patricia Jones, AK

Carter R. Jones, NY

Jerry Jordan, WI

Alisa Kannett, IL

Alan Kindler, VA

Rosa King, VA

Nancy Lane, NY

Carolyn Langdon, PA

Gary LaParl, FL

Megan Lawlor, PA

Bev Lee, CO

Patsy Lindamood, TX

Kaaren Lundeen, NC

Patricia Maguire, FL

Kathryn Malta, CA

Isabella Martire, MD

John Francis McCabe, VA

Brian McClear, CT

Donald G. Meadows, GA

Nancy Bea Miller, PA

Lorrie Anne Minicozzi, PA

Meredith Morris, MD

Greg Newman, NC

Daniel Norris, CA

Sivananda Nyayapathi, GA

Carrie Nygren, WI

Kathryn-Ann O’Brien, CT

John Orr, NJ

Robyn Palescandolo, CA

Mike Peterson, TX

Josepha Phillips, VA

David Pollard, NC

Sharon Pomales-Tousey, CA

Brian Porter, NY

Barbara J. Prall, IA

Ena Raquer, FL

Jayne Reed, OK

Wendy Roberts, HI

Rita V. Rogan, WI

William C. Rorick, CT

Julie Rosa, NY

Francisco Sanchez, TX

Billy Seccombe, NJ

Hallie Seibels, SC

Robert S. Silverman, NY

Jennifer Sims, VA

Anne Singer, MD

Linda K. Smith, TX

Sharon Smith, GA

Lori Spradley, TX

Merryn Stanfield, NC

Edward Steffek, OH

Robert Talbert, MD

Eugena Talvola, CA

James E. Taylor, NC

Randall Vemer, OR

Suzanne Viechnicki, SC

Brian Vines, CA

Elizabeth A. Viztes, OH

Leonora Volpe, TX

Sarah Wainwright, TX

Virginia Wait, MI

Charles Y. Walls, GA

Richard Walton, UT

Karen Warshal, MD

Susan Waters, GA

Chuck Weber, WI

Stewart White, MD

Martin Wigg, PA

Terence Williams, GA

Yiping You, CA

International

Hanna Bordewijk, Canada

Rajendra Dixit, India

Qiyu Dong, China

Alex Faude’, Belgium

Connie Lee, Canada

Aapo Pukk, Estonia

Ming Qin, Canada

Solvi Sanden, Norway

Iulia Stoian, Canada

Linda Sweeny, Australia

Dean Trembath, New Zealand

Limei Wang, China

Ye Xie, China

Ting Zhang, China

Corporate

Mary Ellen Guroy, CA

Student

Mattie Ree Neal, TN

JANUARY

Patron Daud Akhriev, GA

Patricia Anderson, NY

Charlotte Arnold, FL

Betsy Finley Ashton, NJ

Julie Anne Ballis, Australia

Donna Bird, TN

Shay Blum, NJ

Joanne Braganza, Canada

Lisa Busby, MS

Samuel H. D’Ambruoso, CT

Fred Draper, AL

Ray Freeman, NV

Marilyn Gasparini, FL

Jane Genet, CA

Richard Halstead, IL

Suzanne Jack, TN

Dyan Law, PA

Eric Leichter, PA

Judy Lewis, PA

Pat Locascio, NY

Albert G. Lopez, CT

Barbara M. Love, MD

Stephen Mangum, CA

Marcia McCutcheon, MD

Laurie B. Meyer, SC

Paul Murphree, TX

David Nilsson, CA

Patricia Nsien, TX

Susan O’Neill, VA

Yvonne Pacheco, NJ

Michele Page, CA

Patricia R. Pittman, NC

Sam Robinson, MD

Mark Sharer, NY

Piazza Tang, CA

Carolyn Walker Taylor, PA

Anne Trevvett, VA

David Uhl, CO

Robert H. Way, NC

Faculty Patron Member

William T. Chambers, IL

Faculty Member

Kevin Chambers, GA

Brenda Hash, CO

Shana Levenson, NM

Elizabeth Zanzinger, CA

General

Charles David Alexander, KY

Nicole Alger, NY

A. J. Alper, MD

Daniel R. Anthony, NM

Jessica Armstrong, CO

Autumn Barcroft, TX

Gwenneth Barth-White, FL

Evie Baskin, MD

MaryBeth Bellon, IL

Suchitra Bhosle, IL

Janis Casco Blayer, AZ

Diane Brehmer, NY

J. Clayton Bright, PA

Whitney Brock, VA

Paul Brourman, IL

Glenda Brown, TN

Simona Buna, IN

Juan Cantavella, TX

Mary C. Carroll, VA

Todd Casey, CT

Eliza Pineau Casler, FL

Kamlika Chandla, MN

Beverly Chemin, TX

Louise Conroy, MO

Gary Cooley, NC

Mary Cornish, VA

Sandra Corpora, PA

Maria D. Cortez, TX

Karen Crenshaw, NC

Richard D. Curtin, TX

Gary Custer, NH

Steven DaLuz, TX

Vickie Damm, KS

Barbara Davis, AL

Camille Day, GA

Angela De la Vega-Goga, TX

Phoebe Delaney, MA

Gabriela Dellosso, NJ

Kyle Denning, UT

John Derenzo, NY

Jomarie Di Iorio, NY

Dianne Dillingham-Noggle, AR

Kristin Divers, PA

Patsy Arrington Dorsett, VA

Riley Doyle, WA

Kathleen Draine, OR

Lucinda Draine, MA

Marilyn Drake, NM

Natalia Duda, TX

Leslie DuPratt, CA

H. Marie Easley, NC

Mike Elkins, TN

Cheryl Elmo, PA

Carol Fairlie, TX

Cheryl Feng, CA

Gail Ferretti, NJ

Emily Fossum, NC

Nancy Foster, CO

Mary Frankel, TX

Elizabeth Franklin, MN

Denise Franzino, NY

Denise Fulton, TX

Katherine Galbraith, FL

Dulce Garcia, NY

Claudette Bergeron Gardner, MA

Greg Gibson, OH

Michael Gillespie, TX

Patricia Givens, SC

Matthew Gonzales, DC

Cyd Goodwin, MO

Barbara Greco-Potash, PA

Lynette Green, CO

Marjorie Grinnell, NY

Ken Grody, OH

Erin Grover, GA

Denise Gutierrez-Homer, TX

L. Gabriela Guzman, CT Jack Haran, MA

Theresa Hartley, CT

Angela Hartmann, NJ

Melissa Hefferlin, GA

Jeanie M. Hendryx, MD

Barbara Hughes, PA

Alexander Huneke, VA

Yuka Imata, NY

Jack Inson, NM

Tory Jensen, CA

Fengshi Jin, NY

JuliAnne Jonker, MN

Dianne Kantorik, TN

Mark Katzman, CA

Nicole White Kennedy, NC

Colleen Kent, GA

Cindy Kopenhafer, MO

Anastasya Kossyrev, CO

Anne Marie Kratz, CO

Olga Krimon, CA

Ken Kvamme, AR

Paul Ladnier, FL

Yelena Lamm, PA

Ted W. Landers, GA

Sharon Larson, MO

Karen LaValley, OH

Cathleen Lawless, VA

Sherry Lawson, SC

Betty P. Liles, KY

Charles Lilly, NC

Chao Liu, TX

Cortney Lunt, UT

Janet Maines, LA

Jeffrey Markowsky, GA

Nancy Mauck, VA

Mathew McFarren, OH

Heather McGarey, CO

Elizabeth McGhee, CA

Tommy McMillan, GA

Patrick Meehan, CA

Gloria Meyer, IL

Ellen R. Moore, TX

James Morehead, OR

Jackie Moreno, PA

D.J. Neary, VA

Olga Nielsen, DE

Maggie O’Keefe, NY

Kate Orr, IN

Chris Osborne, CT

Jenedy Paige, UT

Benji Palus, LA

Paula Parsons, NC

Emily A. Pastor, OR

Leslie Paulus, WI

Rosie Penning, CA

David G. Pett, OH

Lena Phillips, UT

Birgit Porter, GA

Rebecca W. Pugh, MD

Laura Raborn, AR

Mark Rademacher, MI

Kim Randleas, OR

Christine Rapa, MD

Debbie Rappaport, MD

Edward Robitz, OH

Edgardo Rodriguez, Puerto

Rico

Laura Roney, NV

Carol Rubsam, KS

Patrice Schelkun, FL

Linda Schroeter, CA

Paul Schulenburg, MA

Scott Shulman, ME

Neal Slaten, MO

Stephanie Spay, IN

Nancy Stainton, CA

Diane Staley, VA

Marlene Steele, OH

Mary Step, MI

Tyswan Stewart, NY

Edward Stolar, MD

Janet Stolar, MD

Stephen T. Swanson, NJ

Sonja Sweterlitsch, PA

Jianwu Tan, NY

Sarah Tate, GA

Burton Taylor, NY

Carol Terry, AL

Vilas Tonape, NC

Hsin-Yao Tseng, CA

Karol A. Tucker, NC

Anne M. Turner, CA

Nestor A. Valencia, NM

Patricia Varcasia, NY

Eric Von Schmidt, CO

Barbara S. Welles, SC

Sherry West, CA

Mike Wimmer, GA

Elana Winsberg, WA

Ann Miller Woodford, NC

Phil Yeh, NY

Lynn Yoder, PA

Karen Young, MT

Joyce Zeller Endick, NY

Jing Zhao, TX

International

Wendy Chuang, China SAR

Fiona Cotton, Australia

Grace Curtis, Canada

Helene Felfer-Schmaldienst, Austria

Eddy Greenwood, Netherlands

Jean Miller Harding, Canada

Janelle Hatherly, Australia

Jaya Perrier, Canada

Andrea Steinbauer, Germany

James Stickland, Australia

Erin Stonestreet, Australia

Maria Villioti, Greece

Qiangjie Wu, China

FEBRUARY

Patron

Steven B. Anderson, FL

Judy Black, GA

Wende Caporale-Greene, CT

Alan Corbett, GA

J Douglas, VA

Kathleen Ericson, MI

Jessica Falcone, CA

Klara B. Faulk, GA

Ronald Franklin, TN

Nanci Fulmek, MN

Joseph Gastrock, VA

Armando Gutiérrez G., MN

Joel Heger, CA

Marion Howard, TX

Samuel C. Ice, OH

Robert Kalinoski, FL

Charles Gilbert Kapsner, MN

Cathy Kline, MO

Garry Kravit, FL

Sylvana Lankshear, CA

David R. Lazarony, Jr., CA

Pia Ledy, NY

Jeanne Leemon, TN

Michelle Leopardo, IL

Ken MacIntosh, CA

Erin McCarthy, MA

Roseanne Marie Peters, CA

Denise Pollack, PA

Cathy Rogers, GA

Miriam Saba-Haber, NY

Diane Sakuta, MI

Kathleen V. Schmitt, TX

Ann Sharp, MD

Lanny Sherwin, CA

Jo Sherwood, TX

Jean Turner Smith, AZ

Stephanie Spalding, GA

Kathleen Sparkman, TN

Julia Stearns, NY

Daniel Volenec, MN

Kathleen Wallace, FL

John Wendling, UT

Carleen A. Wesson, GA

Thomas Wharton, WV

Suzi Zefting-Kuhn, NY

Sargent Circle

Peggy Kinstler, CT

Faculty Patron Member

Evert Ploeg, Australia

Faculty Member

Richard Christian Nelson, NC

William A. Schneider, FL

Adam Clague, MO

Mary Qian, IL

General

Eve Albrecht, FL

Liza Amir, NJ

Norma Jean Anderson, KY

Helen Avalon, FL

Lora Banks, PA

Mary Beacon, VA

Linell Beaumont, IL

Jennifer Behymer, MA

Claire Benedict, GA

Randy Berrett, CA

Melody Bogle, FL

Joseph Bonomo, KY

Michael Bowman, OH

Wilma T. Bradner, VA

Margaret Farrell Bruno, MA

Don Burchett, KY

Sung Chung, VA

Bob Clyatt, NY

Kirsten Coco, TX

Thomas L. Cranmer, VA

Hal Cronkhite, AL

Victoria Culbertson, NM

Lily Curley, CO

Lori Ann Dawson, VA

Melissa DeCarlo, TX

Jean DeHaven, CO

Lenin Delsol, IL

T.E. Smith Denton, VA

Crystal Despain, CO

Annette Devitt, NJ

Kitt Dobry, GA

Bonnie H. Dolan, TN

Gail Dowler, OR

Joan Dreicer, VA

Linda Dunbar, OK

Robert Eilert, CO

Evee Erb, NC

Marisa Evangelista, MD

Tony Falcone, CT

Diane Farr, OH

Ann Filipiak, OH

James Fiorentino, NJ

Jolynn Forman, UT

Ivan Gall, CO

Melissa Gann, GA

Vicky Gooch, TX

Stephen Gorman, FL

Kim Gorrasi, MA

Nan Gurley, TN

Milly Guthrie, AZ

Candy Perque Herlihy, MD

Dante J. Hsu, HI

David Hynes, GA

Jeanine Jackson, CT

Kelly James, IL

Aki Kano, NY

George Khoury, TN

Marcia Klioze, VA

Marilyn Kohn, FL

Ethel Morris Kovacic, OH

Marcia Koynok, PA

Kay Krapfl, VA

Sandra Kuck, FL

Betty Lehnus, NM

Yun Li, NJ

Patricia Lontor, NE

Karin Lubart, TN

Pamela Mack, TN

Gayle Madeira, NY

Juan Martinez, TX

Ronald L. Marvin, FL

Mary Mayhew, IN

D. Arthur McBride, FL

Margie Milne, NJ

Elsbeth Monnett, AK

Jeff Morrow, OH

Shuchi Muley, TX

Thomas V. Nash, GA

William H. Neukomm, GA

Eric Nyros, GA

Thomas Keith O’Brien, PA

Karen Offutt, TX

Sean Oswald, TX

Gary Parisi, TN

Gloria Pinsker, PA

Mary Plaia, TX

Phil Pringle, MS

Lenore Prud’Homme, TX

Lori Putnam, TN

Viktor Puzanenko, TX

Peggy Rank, FL

Karl Readel, IL

Lois Rhomberg, MN

Patricia McMahon Rice, VA

Cynthia Riordan, CA

Ayana Ross, GA

Scott Royston, MD

Don Ryan, IL

Manu Saluja, NY

Diana Sarkar, TN

Patrick Saunders, TX

Lauren Sawchyn, MA

Judy Schubert, NH

Leonard A. Scrivanich, PA

Paula B. Slater, CA

Michelle R. Snead, NC

Tara Sood, Guam

Meghan Sours, UT

Cheridah Ann Spaulding, NV

Johanna J. Spinks, CA

Stanley Steinberg, CA

Eva Strauss-Rosen, CA

Kyle Stuckey, SC

Julio Suarez, MI

Christine Swann, SC

Jeanne Tangney, RI

Irena Taylor, TX

Craig Tennant, CO

Emily Tremml, FL

Karin van Oort, TX

Manjit Vohra, FL

Li Volk, FL

Zhixin Walker, TN

Douglas L. Weber, AZ

Alice Weinger, CA

Julie Wende, TX

Eric Westbrook, DC

Sharon White, VA

Robert R. Williams, MI

Bridget Wolk, TX

Ernest Wood, KS

Gretchen Wurth, NC

Theodore A. Xaras, PA

Leila Yassami, NY

International

Terry Alberstein, Australia

Melissa Breault, Canada

Petra Gruiters, Belgium

Shuai Han, China

Qing He, Canada

Bernardo Hermoso,

Philippines

Norman Lockington, Canada

Ingrid Scott, Canada

Perrin Sparks, Canada

Elske Wilton, The Netherlands

Cynthia Yam, Canada

NEW MEMBERS

A WARM WELCOME to our new members that joined in December, January, February

DECEMBER

Patron

Emma Shane Atchison, CO

Christopher Froeter, IL

Karen Lantner, MD

Jeff McCracken, CT

Cali Ward, ID

Elias Yabrudy, CA

General

Jason Bailey, KY

Megan Collins, HI

Teresa Cook, TN

Alan Fink, MD

Ann Hobson, FL

Sherry Jacks, AL

Mary Jane Kindred, CO

Michelle Mishaan, AK

Leslie Ober, IN

Elsa Payton, AL

Tamara Poff, AZ

Joseph Radding, MI

Lynda Reed, AK

Ellen Regalado, TX

Lindsay Shillington, TX

R.

Dale Simmons, SC

Lynn Strother, CA

Stacie Tiongson, VA

Jinnan Zhang, WA

International

Francesco Armentano, Italy

Elizabeth Barden, Australia

Lachlan Berryman, Australia

Dajun Fu, Canada

Peng Jia, China

Paula Steffler, Canada

Daniel Wimmer, Austria

Yang Zhang, China

JANUARY

Patron

Michael Balsley, TN

Thomas Bumgardner, MO

Sandi Candiotty, CA

Magdalena Castaneda, TX

Eric Crenshaw, MD

Douglas Harmon, GA

Kerry Harmon, GA

Audra Mandel, OK

Tarzia Nabi, KS

Adam Prophitt, GA

Angela Space, IN

General

David Barber, TN

Noel Belton, IL

Tanmaya Bingham, IN

Ranae Boggess, NE

Richard Brawner, WI

Allison Brown, CA

Susie Byerley, IN

Kathy Chassee, LA

Amy Conner, AZ

Sarah Cowen, NJ

Carole Dakake, NJ

Joan Drennan, CA

Debby Fisher, OR

Daniel Gong, VA

Clinton Helms, VA

Ruth Higdon, CO

Diana Hoyt, MD

Rose Irelan, CA

Jessica Jackson, MD

Patrice Le Pera, CA

Mara Light, CA

Linda Marsh, MN

Micah Neff, WA

Alma R. Ortiz, NY

Desree Pettera, KS

Jatziri Barron Preciado, TX

Kris Rehring, AZ

Deborah Roskopf, WA

Michael Sherman, VA

Lorraine Siegel, NY

Mary Smith, AZ

Kathy Sosa, TX

Lydia Spencer, ME

Charles Step, MI

Lisa Strieter, KY

Benjamin Syzek, CO

Valorie Thompson, CA

Julia Watson, CA

Diane Wry, HI

Elizabeth Yeung, NY

International

Audrey Armour, Canada

Nayla Barnstead, Canada

Lynley Bradnam, New Zealand

Wang Jiafu, China

Guy Vezina, Canada

FEBRUARY

Patron

Yvette Armstrong, NY

Mirza Baig, CA

Joann Clark, CA

Brian D’Annunzio, MI

Sarjan Dhakal, PA

Jackie Doner, FL

Dione Fetner, FL

Jeffrey T. Larson, WI

Jonathan Nichols-Navarro, CA

Kevin Sartorio, Canada

Amy Wax, NJ

General

Reena Bates, MA

Kim Brecklein, OK

Stephanie Britt, WA

Michelle Dahl, CA

Jonathan Ege, MD

Judy Falkoff, AR

Robert Fuerer, UT

Jay Galdos, FL

Samantha Griffith, TN

Laura Griffith, TN

Gurmeet Jabbal, UT

Sveta Janda, PA

Andrzej Jaworski, WV

Gail Kindle, FL

Darren Kingsley, PA

Jeffrey Legg, AR

Rita Maggart, TN

Meredith Moss, VA

Elena Neigum, PA

Joseph Noorigian, PA

William O’Brien, VA

Michael Panarisi, CA

Libbie Patterson, MS

Chris Rectenwald, OR

Pablo Rivera, FL

Peter Schuller, CA

Tessa Tallakson, AL

Jim Tyler, CA

Camille Willis, TN

Daryl Zang, CT

International

Pritha Bhadra, Singapore

Carla Dominguez, Canada

Lachance Kabeya, CongoKinshasa

Xinlong Li, China

HongBin Zhang, China

Student

Eliza Hoffman, TX

Lily Svoboda, NE

SARGENT CIRCLE MEMBERS

Last year the Portrait Society established the Sargent Circle, and we want to thank these new members who have made a generous donation and sustaining commitment to the mission of the Portrait Society. Their exceptional gift reflects their commitment to art education and preserving the legacy of fine art portraiture and figurative works.

Platinum Members

Susan Basham

Michael Shane Neal

The Sarah and Ross Perot, Jr Foundation

Brant and Joelle Phillips

Trish Savides

Henry Garth Smith, MD

Mary Whyte

Gold

Aida and Kevin Garrity

Peggy Kinstler

Hope and Billy Reis

Louis and Jessica Sterchi

Silver

Melinda and Jeff Balsar

Jerry and Ernie Williams

Non-profit

The Portrait Society of America

P.O. Box 11272

Tallahassee, FL 32302

FL

WEDNESDAY WEBINARS

Connect – Inspire – Educate

It’s three words that define the Portrait Society’s public purpose. In keeping with that mission, we are excited to unveil our Wednesday Webinars for 2024. All formats include a live Question-and-Answer session with the artist. Cost is $39-$49 and includes a link to view the webinar for 30 days. For more information and to register, please visit www.portraitsociety.org or call toll-free 1-877-772-4321.

Golden Hour, 16x20”, oil

TIM REES

Infusing Portraits with Life Through a Moving Model

Dana, 24x36”, oil

DAWN WHITELAW

The Art of Selection: Crafting Dynamic Portraits with Purposeful Simplicity

Facial Anatomy

JULY 24, 2024

MELINDA WHITMORE

Facial Anatomy for Portraiture

Portrait, Private Commission, 40.5x49.5”, oil on canvas

JASON BOULDIN

Mastering the Art of Compositions

Alive to the Wonders of the World, 11x14”, oil

AUGUST 21, 2024

MARY SAUER

Hush Little Baby, 18x24", charcoal and chalk

SEPTEMBER 18, 2024

LIZ HARRIS

The Essentials for Capturing Likeness and Personality in a Limited Time

A Cardinal's Song, 22.5x29”, Oil

on panel

LOUIS CARR

Capturing Brilliance: A Guide to Photographing Your Artwork for Online Presentation

|

877-772-4321

JUNE 19, 2024

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

OCTOBER 23, 2024

DECEMBER 11, 2024