We are creating so many fun projects behind the scenes but we are taking a break today to spotlight one of my favorites — portraiture. I have so many clients ask me for references to great portrait artists that I am including just a few in this spotlight to demonstrate the wide spectrum of both mediums and styles. Portraits are a favorite because they appear to suspend time. I grew up around painters and portraits so I fear my love of this topic is innate. I am always happy to make introductions to artists I so enjoy working with in any field. After living through the last year I can’t think of any better time to capture those you love on canvas.

Erin Cone

Erin Cone, Texas-born portrait artist, focuses her work on evoking emotion. She weaves magical realism into a canvas of minimal abstraction to create a focus on her subjects. Her smooth strokes allow eyes to glide across the canvas as the light she paints shapes an almost angelic aura. Cone’s work really resonates with me as she balances positive and negative space on the canvas with such precision one would wonder if she did not minor in mathematics. Her detailed contrast of shadows is thought provoking. Many of her paintings allude to the subject stepping in and out of two dimensions.

I first met Erin at a gallery in Santa Fe when my children were tiny and being pulled in the back of our bike trailer when she was new to the art scene, barely out of college. I remember her recanting that she was able to secure transportation after her first shows success. I am sure she was seemingly surprised but I knew then that it was only the beginning for her raw talent.

I was so mesmerized by her ability to capture hands that I knew I wanted her to capture my sweet children (not her usual subjects) on canvas. She was so gracious and willingly painted us exactly as she saw us. She was intrigued by a mom who wanted her head cut off of the painting… looking back this is probably exactly how I was feeling at the time, identity intrinsically tied to my children above all else. My one alteration was for her to shift my foot which was always pigeon toed. This painting has grown with us through the many seasons of life. When these favorite red clogs fell apart, my non sentimental son insisted that I could not throw them out. This painting, as with all portraits, represents a window in time that I am so incredibly grateful to have. I recently reached out to Erin and she takes a limited number of commissions given that her gallery work sells out quickly. It makes me so happy that she has been such a smashing success.

Medium: acrylic on canvas
Galleries:
- Decorazon Gallery (New York, NY)
- Nuart Gallery (Santa Fe, NM)
- Simon Breitbard Fine Arts (San Francisco, CA / Menlo Park, CA)
Size Range: 36x48 - 56x72
Price Range: *call for pricing

Erin Cone, “The Winfrey Children”, a commissioned piece featured in Art & Antiques magazine.

Debra Nicholas

Debra Nicholas, Washington, D.C. portrait artist, has a keen eye for the patterns of life. Growing up with parents who were painters, Nicholas was constantly surrounded by museum walls and creative outlets. She was trained to see the world through an artist’s eye. She started her career as a textile designer, achieving much success early on as she emphasized the details people often miss in their daily routines. Designing textiles led Nicholas to painting the world through a patterned lens, honing in on the textures that blanket mundane objects and the world around us.

Nicholas focuses her work on complete and unified paintings. Her strokes range from detailed whisps to blotchy, smooth layers of color. Her work ranges from beauty in landscapes to intricate family portraits to up-close still lifes. Her range, while seemingly different, holds a steady spotlight on the little things in life – and as a lover of little things and delighting in the details she is an all time favorite.

Nicholas was also fabulously helpful in creating this special family tree for a nursery we designed. Yet again, something so uniquely personal that the piece will be a hallmark in the home forever.

Medium: oil and mixed media or gouache
Galleries:
- Debra Nicholas Studio
Size Range: 7x13.5 - 26x42
Price Range: *call for pricing

Debra Nicholas, “Family Tree” featured in an SCW space.

Jacqueline Jasper

Jacqueline Jasper, was born and raised in Iowa, a half-mile from the “Field of Dreams.” She currently resides in Eastern Pennsylvania which is where I had the pleasure of making her acquitance. After a successful career as a fashion artist in New York, where she won numerous awards for her work, Jacqueline turned her talent to portraiture. She is a founding member of The Portrait Society of America and a member of the Lotos Club in New York.

Jacqueline’s portraits hang in many formal academic, government and religious settings but her work with families is my favorite. Jacqueline makes the process so easy for families with busy lives. Watching her create her small studies during a sitting is pure magic. The depth of emotion she is able to capture is haunting. She has the uncanny ability to capture one’s soul through the eyes which is such a unique gift in portraiture. I will be forever grateful to Jacqueline for honoring my children at a turning point from childhood to young adulthood where the flicker of innocence is fleeting.

Medium: oil on canvas
Galleries:
- Jacqueline Jasper Studio
Size Range: *call to inquire
Price Range: *call for pricing

Jacqueline Jasper, commissioned portrait of my son.

Stephanie King

Stephanie King, originally from Gulfport, Mississippi, is a portrait artist who uses her paintings to explore the childhood most viewers have surpassed. Her work centers on animals that appear in an imaginative setting, imitating the dream-focused mind of children. As her subjects tend to drift into more magical creatures, she invites people of all ages to retreat to the wandering, creative young mind they once had. King’s collaboration with Pam McDonnell in 2017 pushed her further into a lively mindset, emulating a game in which the prey outsmarts the hunter. King never fails to launch viewers back to their spirited past.

King predominantly uses gouache in her work to explore the playful palette of childhood memories. Stark backgrounds emphasize the subjects, pulling eyes into the canvas and allowing minds to wander beyond the borders. King reminds me every day that life can’t be taken too seriously. Remaining creative and lighthearted is good for the soul. Who knew you could learn so much from your younger self.

These interpretive portraits are based on individuals’ interests. We are currently commissioning two portraits for a client’s two children. We sent her a list of things they love — books, sports, cars etc. — nothing is too mundane. Stephanie’s work is a modern day totem pole full of symbolic meaning yet uniquely identifying one individual. I can’t think of a better portrait that grows with the individual.