A Celebration Two Decades in the Making

Up-close with The Art of the Portrait Faculty, Part II

The Portrait Society of America will be celebrating our 20th annual international portrait and figurative artist conference, The Art of the Portrait, April 19 to 22, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Artists from all over the world gather to watch a variety of demonstrations, participate in hands-on workshops and receive one-on-one critiques from of our esteemed faculty artists. In this issue, we asked several of the faculty artists— Wende Caporale, Casey Childs, Rose Frantzen, Michael Shane Neal, Mary Sauer and Mary Whyte— to share their thoughts about artistic goals, struggles and discoveries. This is just a snapshot of ideas and teachings that you will be privy to at the conference, and we urge you to register early as we are already 90 percent full.

EGNOSKI: What are your goals as an artist and have they changed over the years?

CAPORALE: My goals as an artist have certainly evolved over the years. Having begun my career as an illustrator, I strived to create imagery that would enhance the narrative with which I was presented. Most art directors presented ideas that they hoped I would expand on; however, I was most intrigued by projects with more vague parameters that enabled me to interpret the material in my own personal way. When I began doing portraits, I had limited opportunities to arrive at a unique solution to the standard head and shoulder portrait. When the occasion arises to do multiple figures or more elaborate figurative work, I have more flexibility but still have to satisfy the client. As I spend more time on my personal, non-commissioned work, I greatly enjoy developing an idea and creating an image that

Casey Childs,