Affiliate Chapter of The American Society of Portrait Artists ~ ASOPA
Who will paint your portrait? Contact members directly, or request more info through CSOPA, a nonprofit, educational organization.
NANCY STEMBER, Westport, CT
Nancy Stember fills her canvases with light and life. A harmonious blend of classic and impressionist techniques invite the viewer to linger in her subjects' world that is both real and magical. She is unafraid to introduce vibrant color and a variety of textures to "tell a story." A portrait by Ms. Stember immediately becomes a treasured heirloom. Those fortunate enough to know Nancy admire her uncanny ability to speak softly and carry a big brush!
SARA HOWE "TOOTS" GRIMSLEY, Greenwich, CT
"As big as life - and sometimes bigger!" described both the character of this artist and her art. Toots was a Daughter of the American Revolution and a founding member of CSOPA.
CSOPA morns our loss of Toots in February 2004. Her paintings and indominable spirit will live on!
"New Master," Grace DeVito will take your breath away! Drawing on her many years as a professional illustrator, Ms. DeVito is now highly sought-after for her classical portraits. Evident with each museum-quality painting is her palpable passion for excellence. Aptly named "Grace," her work is genteel and powerful. Realism is exalted by her expert eye for strong design and composition. Ms. DeVito is represented by Portraits South and served on CSOPA's original Board of Directors..
"Flawlessly flattering while capturing the spirit and uniqueness of her subject" has been said of portraits by Sophia ("Sof-EYE-ah") James. Ms. James has been a student at the Art Students League, and of notables Daniel Greene, Everett Raymond Kinstler,Nelson Shanks, and Michael Shane Neil. She lives in New York and works in Greenwich, CT as curator to a major art collector, arranges prestigious art history lectures at the Bruce Museum, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Greenwich Arts Council. Her appreciation of "the classics" is evident in her own original style. Ms. James accepts a very limited number of commissions each year "to give them all the time and love they deserve!"
Ms. Lynch has been painting in oils and involved in fine arts for 40 years, devoting her talent to portraiture since 1992. She was awarded a full scholarship to The Silvermine Guild of Art while still in High School. In addition to CSOPA, Marie Lynch is an active member of ASOPA, the Stamford, Westport, and Wilton Art Associations. Her portraiture captures the inner spirit as well as a physical likeness. Bold use of color seems to define an aura of light surrounding her lucky subjects.
All art on this website is posted with permission and is copyrighted by the artists who created it. It is unlawful to reproduce, download, or transfer in any form without written authorization. CSOPA will not be held liable for any damage or dispute arising from participation in this website.
Listings are officers and chronological order of member biographies received.
CSOPA's "French Connection!" Moments in time are expertly rendered and forever captured by Mr. Delafontaine. Working primarily from photographs and brief sittings, his lifelike paintings go far beyond their humble origins. Single and multiple subjects, studio and landscape settings come together naturally resulting in color-filled canvases rich in texture, depth, and character. In his "other life," Mr. Delafontaine is a pilot and develops alternate fuels for the aviation industry. This grand perspective finds its way into each and every Delafontaine original!
Connossieur magazine contributor Alma Collins wrote, "Portrait artist Susan Strauss has earned a distinguished position in her specialty with an excellent record of awards and achievements. Each of her portraits becomes a work of art because of ther extraordinary sensitivity in portraying the unique character of each person she is privileged to paint."
"I pledge that every painting that leaves my studio will represent my very finest effort as a creative artist. It is my love of people tha first led me to portrait painting and I hope that same enthusiasm continues to energize my paintings."
ENCARNA THOMAS, Chappaqua, NY
Encarna Thomas is a native of Spain and started her career in portrait painting at an art academy in Madrid. She has studied with particular emphasis painters such as Velazquez and Sorolla. She continued her studies at the Art Sudents League in NY and with Daniel Greene, Gregory Lysum, and Laurel Stern-Boeck. Her oil portraits capture the internal and external personality through the use of light and vibrant colors.
Dreams can come true! Francis Philibert pursues his lifelong passion for portraiture more each day. Mr. Philibert was a respected gallery owner and framer prior to taking early retirement to paint paint paint! He accepts private, church, corporate and government commissions which receive all the love and care this consumate professional has to offer. The results are gentle yet powerful in pastels, charcoal or oil.
An award winning Artist, Susan specializes in traditional Classic Portraiture. She has been commissioned to paint for such clients as U.S. Tobacco, Cancer Research Institute, and Baylor University Medical Center. She has been featured in 3 Cable TV shows, and appeared in many publications including, Artist Magazine, Fairfield County Times, and the selected Artist to represent Greenwich, Ct.in National Geographic Magazine.
Marvin Mattelson draws on thirty years of professional experience as a commercial artist. Ten of his paintings are included in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution. To his credit are more than sixty awards from the Society of Illustrators. He is most indebted to John Frederick Murray, a student of Frank Reilly, for his insights into the academic painting process. Thankfully, Marvin shares his abundant knowledge on the CSOPA Faculty, as a distinguished educator at the School for Visual Arts in NY in addition to conducting private workshops. CSOPA is grateful to Marvin for creating our logo.
Madeleine has a genuine love of portraiture. She believes that a fine portrait combines the quality of character and spirit that present a person at their best. Her vision is to create a painting that is a loving remembrance to endure for generations. The artist's portrait commissions are found in business and private collections nationally as well as in selected museums and galleries. Madeleine is the owner of Deer Hill Studio in Brookfield, CT, where she specializes in fine art portrait commissions and instruction. Her workshops are available both in studio and nationally. Visit her website to experience a rich display of beautiful portraits.
Ms. Jackson combines the strength of classical composition with "Sprezzatura" - the art of casual mastery. A disciple of Master Impressionst, George Passantino, she attended the Silvermine School of Art in New Canaan, The School for Visual Arts in NYC, North Westchester School of Art, WICE in Paris, and the University of Florence in Italy where she lived for eight years. Jeanine Jackson is also the Connecticut Ambassador for the Portrait Society of America.
"Life is light." Sorolla
CSOPA Director & Secretary
CSOPA Director & Treasurer
CSOPA's Distinguished Advisory Board: Robert Anderson (Senior Advisor), Igor Babailov, Arianne Beigneux, Foster Caddell, Michael Del Priore, Mary Minifie, John Howard Sanden and Richard Whitney.
ASOPA
Affiliate Chapter
CSOPA welcomes
CSOPA Members may submit 2 jpeg images max size 400 x 600 and a brief artist statement for possible inclusion on this FIND ARTIST page. Email to CSocietyOPA@aol.com.
A reciprocal link to www.CSOPA.org from your website is REQUIRED. Please send us a link to your webpage showing the reciprocal link to CSOPA.org with your photos and bio. Use of our logo is recommended, though not required, for this purpose. See our LOGO page for instructions to use logo.
Foster Caddell's portraits touch you in profound and unexpected ways. His pastels have been recognized for excellence with the honor of induction into The Pastel Society of America's Hall of Fame. Mr. Caddell is equally adept at oil paintings and has completed for prestigious commissions by the Church of England, government officials, leaders in industry as well as everyday folk. Listed in Who's Who of American Art, Marquis Who's Who in the World, Mr. Caddell is a respected author, teacher, and CSOPA Lifetime Aceivement Award (LAW) receipient. Pull up a chair, and sit a while. You are in the presence of greatness!
After completing her Masters degree in Art Education and several years of teaching, Candace turned her attention to the pursuit of further art studies at the Art Student's' League, Silvermine School, and the National Academy of Art. She has also studied with masters including Daniel Greene, and Burt Silverman. Her favorite medium is pastels utilizing a special technique that involves a slow build-up of many subtle layers. The results are extraordinary works of art with enduring interest and vitality.
"To me, the face is a universe unto itself ~ ever-changing, surprising, mysterious, and compelling. I seek to reveal the essence of my subject no matter what the age. It never fails that I find unique beauty in each person and delight in revealing it to the world."
"I strive to make an emotional connection; to evoke an emotional response and to move a person insuch a way that my creation becomes a part of them. Each time a person reponds to my work in that way, I realize why I paint. For me, it is truly humbling to make an emotional connection with people, then have the artistic result of that connection displayed as part of their heritage and home."
Experience Judy Perry's awesome work in watercolor! Considered by many the most difficult of portrait mediums, Judy's large-as-life watercolors take on unparalelled vitality and excitement.
Cindy Wagner has taken her talent from stage to studio. Her artistic career began as a teenager painting sets for the New York Theater at Variety Scenic Studios. Bold brush strokes and unique visual mixing of color have carried over into her distinctive portraits. Ms. Wagner is also a professional physical therapist. This extraordinary appreciation for human anatomy is celebrated in her beautiful fine art.
