Portraits of Promise Exhibit at Gloucester County College

Hanging 110 paintings!

Opening reception

Luis Santana with his portrait

Cameron Kelly with her portrait

We had a wonderful turnout- thank you so much to everyone who came!  "Portraits of Promise", which includes 110 portraits accompanied by statements from the models, will be on exhibit through October 17, 2012. It is part of a group exhibit at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ which includes the work of five other artists working in various media in adjoining galleries.

Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog so far and commented on the alla prima portrait posts- thanks to the many models, the parents, the artists who painted along with me and who supported me emotionally and helped to fund this project.  Thanks to Karen Marshal for baking,  to Brad Mays for the awesome video on Kickstarter.com, and to everyone who supported my Kickstarter campaign. Thanks to Jim Repenning for putting up with my endless requests to adjust the lighting, and for the great music mixes.  Thanks to my husband, Phil, who looked at every portrait I brought home, no matter how late, and always had a word of encouragement. Thanks to Dr. Ross Beitzel, curator of the exhibit, for believing in this project from the early days when I was not so sure myself.  I have been helped by many people in the course of this series, and have felt very supported, encouraged and blessed; I am grateful to all of you.

#108 Julian - One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                           Julian

 “Follow your own path and do what you feel is right.  Teenagers are really concerned about fair treatment and equality.  Things that are important to me are family, education, Christ, and individuality.” 

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 1 day left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#107 Isaiah - One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                            Issiah
 "I think the most difficult issue facing teens today is popularity.  Most teens are extremely conscious of how "cool" we are in comparison to other teens around us.  This could drive teens to do things with severe consequences.  My hope for the future is that teens will realize that having fun does not always have to be partying hard or doing drugs.  People say life is short but stupid things like that can make it a lot shorter."

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 2 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#106 Ali- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                             Ali
"Some advice I would give to other teens would be to always have fun.  Take advantage of your teen years because they are so fun. It is the time that you are developing yourself, and figuring out who your really are, so be thankful for yourself, and always appreciate who you are."
Ali's portrait was painted earlier in the project, January, 2011.

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 3 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#105 Brea- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                             Brea

“What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.  If you don’t feel good enough, trust me, you are.  You are unique and creative in your own way...and you are not alone!  You can let your problems break you, define you, or strengthen you.  You deserve the best, no matter what mistakes you have made.”

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 
I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 4 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#103 Jessica- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                        "Jessica"

"Be true to yourself no matter what you do.  My friends, family and music are important to me.  I love to sing and dance and I play the trumpet. Also going to church and being close to God holds a great importance in my life.  My hope for the future is that everybody can have an equal share of education, and an equal chance to succeed in life." 

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 4 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#102 Miranda- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                         "Miranda"
  “Morals, family, friends and God are important to me. My advice to other teens is to not care so much what others think.  Don’t change who you are for anybody.  Just be yourself.” 

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 4 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#101 Hannah - One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                         Hannah
"I think there is way too much pressure put on teens these days.  I believe that the rigorous education system puts way too much pressure on teens and is way too physically and emotionally demanding...Let go and don't be afraid to be yourself.  Try and forget what others think about you, because in the end all that matters is being true to yourself."

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 4 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#100 Tamaya- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                        "Tamaya"
"Try not to be so self centered, focus on other things that are important, like education and family.  The most difficult thing teens face today is peer pressure.  Teens get sucked into doing things that other teens are doing.  My hope for the future is that I can become the best person I can be."

Tamaya is in the  Urban Promise  Street Leader teen job training program in Camden, NJ.

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 4 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#98 Elizabeth- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                        Elizabeth

"If you have the chance to do some good, take it.  Some of the things that are important to me are God and my family.”

I am getting close to the end of posting this series.  I have completed all of the paintings, and now  am posting some of the paintings done earlier that I did not get to posting before.  I can see how my technique has evolved through the series, and how I have become stronger and more confident in my work.  Elizabeth and her sister Rachel (previous post) were painted in December, 2011. They were really polite and lovely girls, both home schooled. I could see that they were very close, and wondered if this is something that is characteristic of most siblings who are home schooled. 

Upcoming exhibit- The series of 110 paintings, Portraits of Promise, accompanied by insightful quotes from the teenage models, will be exhibited as part of a group show at Gloucester County College in Sewell, NJ,  20 minutes from Philadelphia.  The opening is Sunday, September 9, 2-4, exhibited until October 17, 2012. 

Visit www.gccnj.edu for directions. 

I have a fundraiser on kickstarter.com to help cover the costs of exhibiting this series. Only 4 days left!  Check out the awesome short video there by film maker Brad Mays. Thanks to everyone who has supported the fundraiser so far!

Click here to see the video.

#97 Rachel -One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                          Rachel
 “Teenagers are really concerned about security. Advice I would give to other teens is to love your neighbor.”  

#96 Jaquis

                                                                        Jaquis

"Advice I would give other teens is to not be selfish but you do come first. It is important to make you your first priority before you think about the things that do not get you anywhere in life.  Today there are a lot of teen pregnancies.  There is a lot of peer pressure to do drugs and sex and it is mostly by friends... so it is hard to say no. My hope for the future is to become a state trooper and to get far in life."

Jaquis is in the  Urban Promise Street Leader Program in Camden, NJ., which is a teen job training and leadership program. 

#95 Alexandria- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                           Alexandria

"Most teenagers today are concerned about two things: image and school.  When things seem hard, work hard; it pays off.  The most difficult issues teens are faced with today are acceptance, fitting in and making the right choices."

#94 Spencer - One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

 

                                                                       " Spencer"
"Don't change yourself to please others.  People will like you for you.  The most difficult issue teens are faced with is being left out or being unusual compared to others, not fitting in." 

#93 Tori- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                           Tori
(Advice for other teens)  "Take enough time to take care of yourself and don't push yourself too hard." (Most difficult issue facing teens today) "Competition with school, too much expectation." (My hope for the future is) "To learn as much as possible and make the best of every opportunity I have."

Often, I did not know the models who were coming in.  It was fun to be surprised by who came.  When Tori walked in, I was thrilled, because I knew who she was an had wanted to paint her for years.  I used to see her walking around my town with her grandmother when she was little- she was hard to miss with her beautiful, red dreadlocks.  Her grandmother also wore dreadlocks, and I thought the two of them looked so beautiful. While her advice to not push yourself too hard is wise council, she will be attending an Ivy League school this fall, and I am sure she was a very diligent student.

 Kickstarter.com fundraiser to help put on an exhibition of this series-
One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers by Natalie Italiano — Kickstarter

#92 Brittany- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                          Brittany

"Some things that are important to me are art, karate, tennis, drama, and school.  I tend to put most of my focus toward school because my goal is to be the valedictorian." "I think the most difficult issue teens are faced with today is the pressure that they feel from the world around them.  They feel pressure from their friends to fit in, pressure from the media, and pressure from their parents.  Sometimes its hard to make everyone happy." "Some advice I would give to other kids would be to just be yourself.  Don't compromise your values or beliefs to try and conform to the way that everyone else is."

#91 Karla- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                                Karla
(Things that are important to you) "My family, my friends, basketball and life." (Advice for other teens) "Be yourself and stay true to what you believe in...I think the most difficult issues teens are faced with today are obesity and lack of confidence." (If you could be anything you wanted, what would that be?) "A teacher for kids with special needs."

Karla's mom is a teacher, now retired.  Both of her parents stayed and watched the paintings unfold the entire session...occasionally checking their email on their phones.  I would too, because watching painters paint, although exciting to me, can be a little slow after four hours!  Her dad was relaxing from his busy work schedule and enjoying the music we played.  It was fun to have them!  The parents have been unbelievably supportive through out this entire project!  I am amazed, and grateful for the support!  Most of these models could not drive yet, or didn't have cars, and were dependent on their parents or others to drive them to the studio and pick them back up. Some traveled as much as 45 minutes to participate.  I really appreciate everyone's effort! Thank you all so much!

#90 Hannah - One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                          Hannah
(Advice for other teens) "Keep your head up high and think positive, being a good person to others makes them want to do the same, and maybe you'll make someone's day."  (Things that are important to you)  "The most important things to me are my friends and family.  Sometimes they push my buttons, but I honestly don't know what I'd do without them." (If you could be anything you wanted, what would that be?)  I would want to be able to heal; a broken heart, a severe illness, anything.  I'd want to help people and make them happy, for it makes me happy just to watch them."


This painting was done as a demonstration at Beauty Gallery in Newtown Square, Pa. I kept it to four hours, just like the rest of the series.  It was difficult to control the lighting, as there were multiple light sources in the gallery, but I still had light and shadow on the model to help describe form.  My goal in this painting was to approach it like a color study; Hannah was such a beautiful model, and the colors were very rich. I am pleased with the way it came out.  It was an interesting experience, because it was during an opening, and I had all kinds of people talking to me while I was painting, and asking questions.  I had to work hard to stay focused on the painting while talking.

#89 Grace- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

 

Grace

"We teenagers are egocentric.  Not a completely negative thing; we who are discovering ourselves find it difficult to think of anything else.  We simply need to discover in ourselves a sympathy for others."  (Some of the things that are important to you) "My daily walk is number one!  John Adams said it best, 'Walking dispels melancholy'."  (Advice for other teens) "We would all do well to cultivate friendships with the elderly.  They are so frequently bored and lonely and just want to share their wisdom and stories of the world they grew up in." (Most difficult issue facing teens today) "I think we've lost the idea of the 'craftsman'.  So many are obliged to pursue occupations that aren't personally satisfying."

Wow.  How can you not love Grace?  She is a student at Studio Incamminati, and I was fortunate to  get a chance to know her this year- she was in my figure drawing class. An amazing young woman, and quite a good artist.  What is that saying by Sargent, "a portrait is a painting with something wrong with the mouth"? Does that also apply to the ear? I love this painting, and I feel that I really nailed the likeness, but there is a little something off with the ear....

#88 Taysha- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                        Taysha
"In my opinion most teenagers today are concerned about having an interesting social life and making their parents proud...Some of the things that are important to me are graduating college, the economy, and most importantly my family."  (Most difficult issue teens are faced with today) "In my opinion most teens face discrimination for being different or speaking a certain way...I want to be an artist and own my own gallery."

How many ways can you create an interesting composition with a square?  Many. Over a hundred!  But I don't think is one of them.  She looks pushed too far to the left; I was trying to do something different with the flat spacial design in each portrait. Maybe if her head was turned to our right it would have worked better. Another incredibly beautiful model.....

#87 Dakota- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                            Dakota
(Teenagers are concerned about) "A lot of times, it seems that teenagers today are concerned with fitting in.  Its a shame, but its true."  (Advice for other teens) "Be yourself.  Love yourself, and what you do.  Otherwise, nothing's worth your time." "I think the most difficult issue teens are faced with today is individuality."


It was really fun painting Dakota.  I loved trying to find all of the colors in her hair, and I have become an absolute fan of painting glasses! Its really fun seeing the colors and designing the shapes created by the glasses' reflections.

#86 Kira- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                          Kira
(Advice for other teens) "Perfect is overrated so be yourself." (The most difficult issue facing teens today) "Being accepted by their peers."

#85 Jordyn- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                        Jordyn

"Teenagers are mostly concerned about the way they look.  Also what others think about them."
(What advice would you give other teens) "Always stay true to yourself.  Don't worry about what others think about you...One of the most difficult issues teens face are grades.  They are always stressing about school."

#84 Seth- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                                Seth
(Advice for other teens) "Step away from things you'll regret in your future, keep faith, and follow your dreams."  (Some of the things that are important to you) "My Religion, God, my family, friends, and music. (If you could be anything you wanted) "A musician, or really anything that has to do with the arts."


Seth, like his brother Chris, who was featured on an earlier post, shaved his head except for his amazing mohawk, in support of their mother, Jane Bingham, who is fighting cancer and lost her hair during chemotherapy. In a wonderful demonstration of love and support for their mom, the boys, accompanied by several "brohawks", founded Mohawks for Mom, to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, through Relay-for -life and the sale of T-shirts.

                            Chris Bingham, Seth Bingham, Nick Gioriano, and Jane Bingham

As a result of Jane's and her friend Becky Sypin's  efforts in a Beautiful and Bald Facebook campaign, Mattel has announced the development of a Bald Friend of Barbie.  The bald Barbie will be distributed in hospitals with the intent to help girls who have lost their hair due to chemotherapy cope with their hair loss. Funds will also be used for alopecia research.  My wish is for the dolls to be sold in stores and online as well. They would then be available to children of women undergoing chemotherapy and coping with baldness, and to girls with alopecia.  On a personal note, I lost my mom to lung cancer (she was not a smoker) when I was a sophomore in high school, and I hope that by including Jane and the Bingham family "Brohawks" in this project I can help support their fundraising efforts, or in some small way help someone else who might be going through this or a similar experience.

#83 Veronica- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                          Veronica
 "Teenagers today are concerned with a search for genuine love and attention, which is overshadowed and confused by media, texting, Facebook and the internet, all channels through which we think we find ourselves and 'friends', but in reality are traps in which we loose ourselves." (Some things that are important to you)  "My hope in Jesus Christ has given me constancy through difficult situations, and shown me that love is a total gift of self- which helps me love my family, my friends, my education, and my life in a more full way!" (Most difficult issue teens are faced with today) "The most difficult issue teens are faced with is the lies that the media feeds us about how we can find happiness and satisfaction.  Especially as a girl, I can say that the media has never made me feel beautiful."

This portrait was painted this four months ago, on my birthday.  I am really happy with the way it came out.  I love painting glasses! There are so many cool possibilities with the shadows they cast.  This week I'm teaching a portrait painting workshop at Studio Incamminati, and today I was teaching closed grisaille, or what we call "duo tone". Its really quite similar to how the lights on her face were developed, building form with planes and values.

Monday Nelson Shanks dropped by for a surprise visit to the workshop.  Everybody was thrilled to meet him. He went around helping students in a low key way. We are going  to visit  his studio tomorrow, which everyone is really excited about. Its always amazing to see his work, and I love being in his studio and seeing his paintings in progress.

#82 Zachary - One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                              Zachary

(The most difficult issue facing teens today) "Peer pressure and bullying from other kids." (Advice for other teens) "Think about what you do before you do it. Make smart decisions." (My hope for the future is) "That I can get a good job doing something I like."
Zach is also one of the high school students participating in "Mohawks for Mom", raising awareness for cancer research, in honor of Jane Bingham.  His mohawk was not very long yet, and I was glad to be able to get most of him on the 14 x 14 canvas! I learned that the dyes they use for the really strong colors don't stay in very long. Another wonderful model, I loved painting him. Some of the edges of this one look too sharp to me, giving it a cut out look.  But otherwise I'm pleased.

#81 Erin- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                             Erin
(What are teens concerned about today)  "Teens are concerned about fitting in.  They are also concerned about finding themselves or if they have meaning in life."  (Things that are important to you) " Finding my place in the world and finding friends and holding on to them." (Advice for other teens) "...Just be who you are and live life to the fullest."  


This was painted last Halloween, and Erin show up wearing a Little Red Riding Hood costume.  I was looking forward to painting her, because I have known her since she was a baby. She is my son's best friend, and is like family to me. She was a great model, and had a really strong body awareness and held the pose beautifully. I mention that because none of these models have experience at this, and its not easy.  The canvas surface was kind of slippery and I was frustrated about that, and (as usual) I wished I had just one more hour to work. Looking at the painting now, with a little distance, I am really happy with it.  Erin is a very striking young woman and I feel I caught something of her  unique look.

#80 Josh- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                             Josh
(What do you think most teens are concerned about today)  "Getting into college and paying tuition."  (Advice for other teens)  "If you strive for your goals you can conquer them...The most difficult issue teens face is stereo-types because most people think all teens are the same." (My hope for the future is) "To be successful." 


I was really focusing on breaking down his head into planes and their relative values.  I am pretty happy with this painting given the amount of time I had. The theory goes, if you have the right color you will have the right value, and it you have the right value (and color) the form will turn, even if you don't soften the edges. Still,  I would have like to soften the edges between the planes on his face just a little bit to help the form turn.  Josh is also in the Street Leader program at Urban Promise in Camden, NJ (see earlier posts).

#79 Carlos- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                           Carlos
(Advice for other teens)  "Stay in school because without an education life will be hard for you." (Most difficult issue teen are are faced with today) "The friends they are with because some friends want you to do drugs and thats why you have to be with friends that will keep you out of trouble."


Carlos is also in the Urban Promise Streetleader program in Camden.  He was very friendly and interested in our paintings, and likes to draw. I was really interested in doing a double portrait with him and the photo image of the young man on his hoodie, "Sweeney".  I was very saddened to find out that Sweeney, one of his best friends, had been shot and killed just a week earlier in a robbery at a store in Camden while picking up some things for his grandfather.  He had been helping his grandfather paint his house that weekend.  Sweeney was just 17 years old.

#78 Rosa- One Hundred Alla Prima Portraits of American Teenagers

                                                                              Rosa
(What are some of the things that are important to you?) "My character and spirituality are definitely important to me.  My family and the kids that I work with at Urban Promise."  (Advice for other teens) "I would say to worry more about what's important instead of stressing about the little things.  Love life and be brave."   (What do you think is the most difficult issue kids are faced with today?)  "What happens after high school, or what they have lived through during high school such as foster kids with no parents or kids with abusive parents."

Rosa is a "Street Leader" with Urban Promise in Camden, NJ. The StreetLeader Program offers employment to Camden-area teenagers to work as counselors, tutors, mentors, disciplinarians, and role models for children in the After School Programs and Summer Camps. Street Leaders are encouraged to stay in school, attain job skills, and avoid negative life choices such as early parenthood, drugs, and the penal system.

 I loved painting this portrait, I loved her glasses and painting the ipod headphone. I always agonize over technical things that I didn't do or get to; in this painting I think I need a soft transitional value along her jaw, and another "turning" value between the front plane and the side plane of her face in light.  But I caught her likeness and something about her, and I'm happy about that.