Maiden, Mother, oil on linen, 14¾ x 10½" (37 x 26 cm)Robin Cole
Inspiration
This painting is of my friend and fellow artist, Alla Bartoshchuk. It is a meditation on the transformation many women undergo when they step from the ancient archetype of the “Maiden” into that of the “Mother,” a process I am currently undergoing. The moment that gave rise to this particular image occurred several years ago when Alla was visiting my studio in Colorado. As we were outside wandering beneath the trees, I was struck by the beauty of those abstract shapes cascading across her face and the color potential within the intersection of light and shadow against the backdrop of wild green foliage.
Process
I practice “direct” painting and love to come as close as possible to the desired tones and color relationships in my first pass. I handled the background a bit more loosely, manipulating some of the shapes with a silicon shaper, but I wanted to remain careful and detailed with the portrait. When possible, I prefer to work out design choices on the canvas, but in this case, I turned to a digital study, as it took quite a few attempts to find a shadow pattern. Afterwards, I slowed down for refinement, color nuance and glazing. I found pleasure in elevating the warm/cool dynamic between the light and shadow on her skin and heating up the edges of the transition between the two.
Emergence, oil, 40 x 36" (101 x 91 cm)Sharon Sprung
Inspiration
The inspiration for Emergence was the model himself. We met at Morandi’s, a wonderful Italian restaurant in the village where he was the maître d’. As he showed us to our table, Anthony immediately struck me as an engaging young man who sparkled with life and an energetic warmth. For me, Anthony spontaneously expressed his inner being through posture, gesture and expression. He displayed himself and his life force with every change of mood and thread of conversation.
Process
When working with a model, I generally have an idea or a vision that I want to express, but with Emergence, I just had to get out of the way. The process for developing the painting, although hard to be really clear about at the time, involves working on an unconscious level to make the individual and the personal more universal, to go deeper than the surface. I initially worked on a few very quick drawings, searching for some way to capture what I saw and imagined, hoping the painting would express and enhance the figure with abstract notes. Anthony, the background images, colors and energy all echo one another to express a young man’s journey moving forward to realize his personal meaning and future.
The Interconnection of Life and Environment, oil on panel, 18 x 18" (45 x 45 cm)Jamie Lindholm
Inspiration
The inspiration for this painting was born out of my interest in quantum physics, entanglement and the thought that things entangled remain connected even when separated by vast differences. All things are connected. In this painting, Mother Earth, as represented by my model, holds a flower while emerging from a weave of two separate images—leafless autumn trees and a glorious mountain sunrise. Their weave represents their interconnection, and the shear interference pattern represents that unseen energy. Life and environment are connected. Earth needs the sun, flowers need earth, and environment needs trees.
Process
The process started with model studies. Normally, I would collaborate with a model in the studio or on location, but this painting was started while Covid restrictions were still in place, so I worked virtually. The next step was to create the images of the trees and the sunrise to weave together. The three were then compositionally assembled and sketched out fully to do an oil transfer onto my oil-primed panel. I then did a quick value block in of the figure and painstakingly worked through the weave pattern. This took an exceptionally long time as it involved small precise brushstrokes and enormous amounts of patience. I would move back to the figure, fabric and flower to give myself a break from the details. The last step was to apply a pattern of the transparent interference colors to represent that additional energy.
May It Be, oil and gold leaf on canvas, 24 x 18" (60 x 45 cm)Ernest Wood
Inspiration
The title comes from Mary’s words at The Annunciation, also known as Mary’s “Fiat.” “Let it be done” has been the prayer of all ages. Whether realized or not, union with God is the deepest yearning of the human soul, and with the expression, Mary fulfills her own longings, and those of all souls. In a profound way, she speaks on our behalf, a few humble words of acceptance, so deep and divine. This portrait of Mary had to be universal, thus familiar imagery from Renaissance and Baroque traditions were utilized to create affinity, but it still depicts the model as fresh and contemporary.
Process
Gold leaf was incorporated to further align the painting with sacred art. What’s interesting about the medium is its physical nature, thus it sits on the surface yet also transcends the surface as dark depths and brilliant lights. The use of gold leaf lines were also compositional devices to draw the eye back to the heart of Mary. The painting was made using an indirect method. To prepare the canvas, raw umber was rubbed into the surface. After it was dry, an underpainting was established, albeit loosely. The underpainting was made using lead white and a mixed black of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. Drawing on painting traditions, in some places the values were left as they were, in others transparent color was applied, and yet in others, a thicker opaque layer was applied.