WOMEN OF THE TIMES
click the image, then slowly scroll through the history of The Women
Beyond the paintings. Two groups of women come to life through the portrait series, Women of the Times.
- Legendary women, women in the arts, fashion, Hollywood and history. They broke rules and new ground, never accepted no, and they were successful.
- The model herself, Karen Borne, inspired the second group. She allowed an emotion to envelop her, and I was lucky enough to connect with her characterization.
The stories behind the paintings go deeper.
- Karen spent hours of research to create the persona, then more time skillfully applying makeup and vintage clothing.
- Together we coaxed the camera to click on just the right emotion through hours of photography.
- Finally at the easel, I tugged at my memory of the moment to create one relived, fleeting moment of emotion.
We researched the lives of legendary women and historical times to reinterpret universal looks. Karen immersed herself in the character, from vintage costumes to perfection in makeup, arriving at photo sessions completely in character. And the camera saw it. Emotion became the trigger of each photography and painting session. Connecting with the subject and the time period, Karen projected the right expression, and I worked to capture that emotion in my paintings.
As I painted, I felt the emotion and let the painting flow in its own direction. The Elizabethan times, the all business demeanor of Coco Chanel, the surrendering of temptress Jean Harlow, the seldom seen tears of Elizabeth Taylor – and the easily felt emotions of many others.
These unique portraits represent the lives of women whose intellect, beauty and talent brought them fame, but whose courage brought them into our lives, a visual story of remembered women who succeeded.
Mossrock Studio and Fine Art Gallery in The Woodlands exhibited this collection for its first public showing from October 6 through November 24, 2018.
The Cultural Activities Center in Temple TX hosted a stunning opening for the exhibition, which continued February 15 - March 23, 2019.
The Center for the Arts and Sciences in Clute TX created a unique solo show that paired costumes with the paintings February 21, 2020 (covid19 early closure).
On a personal note, the major importance of this collection is the renaissance of realism in portraiture and the renewed interest in painting what is real.
Preview the paintings here.
