Portraiture - Virtual Gallery
The Monastery Gallery of Art is pleased offer its third virtual art show entitled Portraiture.
You will see a variety of portraits; some of the people you may recognize and others represent the feelings and emotions of the artist. Ask yourself what can I learn about the subject by looking at the painting? Can I tell the lifestyle, the class, the personality or the thoughts of the person(s). Would I recognize this person if I saw him (her) on the street? How do I feel when I look at the subject? If the artist spoke about the person, do I feel the same way?
We are sad that this exhibit cannot be held in the Gallery, as you can see so much more when the portrait is directly in front of you. However, we are grateful that the pictures presented can help you not only appreciate the talented artists who submitted work, but also that learnings, emotions and perhaps our commonality can shine through the technological presentation.
To navigate through the exhibit, just continue to scroll down on this page. In order to view the full piece of art, click on the image and a popup will open so you can see each artists work in more detail.
You will see a variety of portraits; some of the people you may recognize and others represent the feelings and emotions of the artist. Ask yourself what can I learn about the subject by looking at the painting? Can I tell the lifestyle, the class, the personality or the thoughts of the person(s). Would I recognize this person if I saw him (her) on the street? How do I feel when I look at the subject? If the artist spoke about the person, do I feel the same way?
We are sad that this exhibit cannot be held in the Gallery, as you can see so much more when the portrait is directly in front of you. However, we are grateful that the pictures presented can help you not only appreciate the talented artists who submitted work, but also that learnings, emotions and perhaps our commonality can shine through the technological presentation.
To navigate through the exhibit, just continue to scroll down on this page. In order to view the full piece of art, click on the image and a popup will open so you can see each artists work in more detail.
Jan Peters
The subjects of some of my pieces are of refugees, parents protecting their children in the midst of the perilous times, as they face the reality of increased forced migration in the 20th century.
Images #1 and #2 portray the universal bond of parent and child. Image #3 was inspired by a trip to Jamaica where I was struck by the joy on the beautiful faces of the children I was fortunate to meet.
The subjects of some of my pieces are of refugees, parents protecting their children in the midst of the perilous times, as they face the reality of increased forced migration in the 20th century.
Images #1 and #2 portray the universal bond of parent and child. Image #3 was inspired by a trip to Jamaica where I was struck by the joy on the beautiful faces of the children I was fortunate to meet.
Tom Humphries
Several years ago, after a hiatus from painting, I decided that I wanted to begin again but I struggled for some inspiration. It was my good fortune to be taking a class at that time with a good friend and teacher. She was leading the group in a meditation and invited us to imagine ourselves in a room with anyone from the past or present who inspired us or gave us comfort. This exercise provided me with the idea that maybe I could paint these people. I love the activity of painting and I strive to to loosen up and free myself from constrictions. I am colorblind and once was fearful of exposing that fact by making wrong color choices. Letting this inhibition go makes painting a more enjoyable.
Several years ago, after a hiatus from painting, I decided that I wanted to begin again but I struggled for some inspiration. It was my good fortune to be taking a class at that time with a good friend and teacher. She was leading the group in a meditation and invited us to imagine ourselves in a room with anyone from the past or present who inspired us or gave us comfort. This exercise provided me with the idea that maybe I could paint these people. I love the activity of painting and I strive to to loosen up and free myself from constrictions. I am colorblind and once was fearful of exposing that fact by making wrong color choices. Letting this inhibition go makes painting a more enjoyable.
Karen Israel
Though I have studied portraiture, from life, at the Art Students League in NYC with some of the best portrait painters in the world, I paint portraits, mostly from photographs, as hiring a live model is problematic in my small studio. These pastel paintings were chosen by me to paint as I was inspired by the design, the lighting and the mood.
Images #2 and # 3 feature Jazz sax player Elan Trotman. I took artistic license with these portraits and was inspired by the lights, the colors and the music. The final piece is a self portrait. It is a painting about my reaction of great fear to Corona, the pandemic and all its implications.
Though I have studied portraiture, from life, at the Art Students League in NYC with some of the best portrait painters in the world, I paint portraits, mostly from photographs, as hiring a live model is problematic in my small studio. These pastel paintings were chosen by me to paint as I was inspired by the design, the lighting and the mood.
Images #2 and # 3 feature Jazz sax player Elan Trotman. I took artistic license with these portraits and was inspired by the lights, the colors and the music. The final piece is a self portrait. It is a painting about my reaction of great fear to Corona, the pandemic and all its implications.
Adeebah Alnemar
#1 This work speaks to everything that close and the love between mother and child.
#2 This drawing speaks about how the whole world stopped. But even so there is still hope, and that hope gives us strength.
#1 This work speaks to everything that close and the love between mother and child.
#2 This drawing speaks about how the whole world stopped. But even so there is still hope, and that hope gives us strength.
Kathy Fallon
Jazz Man & Silhouette - were actually spur of the moment photographs I took while shooting headshots for them. It was later in each session that I wanted to do something more creative than the standard headshot. I experimented with different lighting - it’s all about the light - and came up with these two versions.
With Jazz Man, the basic look was there, but I did some post editing effects. Silhouette was straight out from the camera, although it was definitely better in the black & white format.
Jazz Man & Silhouette - were actually spur of the moment photographs I took while shooting headshots for them. It was later in each session that I wanted to do something more creative than the standard headshot. I experimented with different lighting - it’s all about the light - and came up with these two versions.
With Jazz Man, the basic look was there, but I did some post editing effects. Silhouette was straight out from the camera, although it was definitely better in the black & white format.
Stanwyck Cromwell
Reflections of Time - This painting is a self-portrait of me, reflecting on my adaption and transformation of both of my younger and current life, in the United States of America, while reminiscing on my past life, as a Guyanese-born visual artist. I chose this painting, because of the symbolic references of the Caribbean Diaspora.
Portrait of Artist's Wife in Blue - This painting is a portrait of my wife, Mattie Cromwell, is my biggest supporter and source of inspiration. This portrait, is a reflection of her spirit and inner beauty. I painted this painting as a birthday gift
to her.
Reflections of Time - This painting is a self-portrait of me, reflecting on my adaption and transformation of both of my younger and current life, in the United States of America, while reminiscing on my past life, as a Guyanese-born visual artist. I chose this painting, because of the symbolic references of the Caribbean Diaspora.
Portrait of Artist's Wife in Blue - This painting is a portrait of my wife, Mattie Cromwell, is my biggest supporter and source of inspiration. This portrait, is a reflection of her spirit and inner beauty. I painted this painting as a birthday gift
to her.
Katie Runde
Rota Fortunae - This is a portrait of a friend of mine I originally chose simply for being the right kind of beautiful. I was working on my portraiture portfolio but did not want to just go find someone magazine-beautiful as that kind of beauty is so generalized that it lets the individuality of the subject disappear and leave just a portrait of our collective social sense of beauty standard. I had not seen Chris for thirteen years when I drove from Vermont to Brooklyn to get reference photos for this portrait, but I made the leap of faith that he was still just the right kind of beautiful—stunning and still utterly individual.
I was not disappointed! But my favorite image also happened to be in front of this clock, and I loved the icon-like look of
it. Even though, the subject would not identify with the religious gravity of such a background, I could not bring myself
to get rid of it. It was only well into the project that I realized that the clock was standing in for the rota fortunae, the wheel of fortune. After all, Chris has done significant enough work in the tech industry that here he was, doing well enough to semiretire in his early thirties. The idea confounded me. How can one keep growing through life without obstacles, projects, and goals to try one’s strength against? Is it a blessing or a curse to be so successful so early? So this portrait ultimately became a challenge to him to place the hands on this clock himself: is he still rising in his fortune, or will he merely rest on his laurels?
Declaration of Independence - This is a self-portrait I painted while still in the studio of my teacher, the great realist
painter Evan Wilson. I was engaged at the time I began the painting, and spent more than a month of frustration
chasing features around my face and just not locking in to a proper resemblance. It was only when I broke off the engagement that suddenly I could paint myself as I am.
Rota Fortunae - This is a portrait of a friend of mine I originally chose simply for being the right kind of beautiful. I was working on my portraiture portfolio but did not want to just go find someone magazine-beautiful as that kind of beauty is so generalized that it lets the individuality of the subject disappear and leave just a portrait of our collective social sense of beauty standard. I had not seen Chris for thirteen years when I drove from Vermont to Brooklyn to get reference photos for this portrait, but I made the leap of faith that he was still just the right kind of beautiful—stunning and still utterly individual.
I was not disappointed! But my favorite image also happened to be in front of this clock, and I loved the icon-like look of
it. Even though, the subject would not identify with the religious gravity of such a background, I could not bring myself
to get rid of it. It was only well into the project that I realized that the clock was standing in for the rota fortunae, the wheel of fortune. After all, Chris has done significant enough work in the tech industry that here he was, doing well enough to semiretire in his early thirties. The idea confounded me. How can one keep growing through life without obstacles, projects, and goals to try one’s strength against? Is it a blessing or a curse to be so successful so early? So this portrait ultimately became a challenge to him to place the hands on this clock himself: is he still rising in his fortune, or will he merely rest on his laurels?
Declaration of Independence - This is a self-portrait I painted while still in the studio of my teacher, the great realist
painter Evan Wilson. I was engaged at the time I began the painting, and spent more than a month of frustration
chasing features around my face and just not locking in to a proper resemblance. It was only when I broke off the engagement that suddenly I could paint myself as I am.
Alloyius Mcilwaine
Art has always been my first love. The idea of invoking an emotional response through the use of color, shapes, texture, and composition has always fascinated me. My first real introduction to art was through comic books. I was amazed by the technique, the story-telling, and the colors that were on display. I proceeded to learn these skills by attempting to duplicate the images. Although I was simply replicating images, there was something serendipitous about the process. Every new line that I created was an investigation, and every brush stroke that I painted became a new discovery. The dissection and reassembly of each new style that I came across taught me well, and eventually led me to create and define a style and technique of my own.
When I began my career as a professional artist, I logged in countless hours experimenting with various mediums and forms of art. I worked with watercolor, acrylic, oil, charcoal, and even tried my hand at sculpture. While I absolutely loved learning a variety of styles and processes, I was still trying to recapture some sense of that pure serendipity that I found in art as a child. I decided early on in my career as a street artist/muralist that I would freestyle the majority of my pieces. Fueled by creativity, I wanted to develop my work on site, without any preconceived notions of the outcome. With these abstract, freestyled murals, I rediscovered that sense of serendipity. There was a freedom in allowing my art to be the conduit for the ideas and emotions that flowed through me. Over time, I realized that I was developing a kind of visual language with these freestyled pieces. I felt that this visual language was worth further exploration, and I fine-tuned it into the style that I use today.
The abstract street art style that I developed during my freestyle sessions is energetic in nature. The colors and shapes are meant to convey a sense of life and movement. I am drawn to bright color palettes, which add a sense of light and happiness to my pieces. Inspirational words and messages are often incorporated into my murals as well. As it is with all works of art, my pieces are subjective, and left up to the interpretation of the viewers. However, my hope is that every person that has an experience with my work walks away feeling inspired, energized and uplifted.
Art has always been my first love. The idea of invoking an emotional response through the use of color, shapes, texture, and composition has always fascinated me. My first real introduction to art was through comic books. I was amazed by the technique, the story-telling, and the colors that were on display. I proceeded to learn these skills by attempting to duplicate the images. Although I was simply replicating images, there was something serendipitous about the process. Every new line that I created was an investigation, and every brush stroke that I painted became a new discovery. The dissection and reassembly of each new style that I came across taught me well, and eventually led me to create and define a style and technique of my own.
When I began my career as a professional artist, I logged in countless hours experimenting with various mediums and forms of art. I worked with watercolor, acrylic, oil, charcoal, and even tried my hand at sculpture. While I absolutely loved learning a variety of styles and processes, I was still trying to recapture some sense of that pure serendipity that I found in art as a child. I decided early on in my career as a street artist/muralist that I would freestyle the majority of my pieces. Fueled by creativity, I wanted to develop my work on site, without any preconceived notions of the outcome. With these abstract, freestyled murals, I rediscovered that sense of serendipity. There was a freedom in allowing my art to be the conduit for the ideas and emotions that flowed through me. Over time, I realized that I was developing a kind of visual language with these freestyled pieces. I felt that this visual language was worth further exploration, and I fine-tuned it into the style that I use today.
The abstract street art style that I developed during my freestyle sessions is energetic in nature. The colors and shapes are meant to convey a sense of life and movement. I am drawn to bright color palettes, which add a sense of light and happiness to my pieces. Inspirational words and messages are often incorporated into my murals as well. As it is with all works of art, my pieces are subjective, and left up to the interpretation of the viewers. However, my hope is that every person that has an experience with my work walks away feeling inspired, energized and uplifted.
History of our spaceThe Monastery Gallery of Art is located on the historic grounds of Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center. The MGA occupies a space on the B floor adjacent to the Public Chapel and that was once used as a dining room by the Passionist Community. |
The Monastery Gallery of ART303 Tunxis rd.
West Hartford, CT 06107 860.760.9766 |