Untitled by Marcos Hernandez will be presented at the opening reception of the 'Santa Paula Portrait Project' on Feb. 23. Courtesy image.
SANTA PAULA — In conjunction with the “Santa Paula Portrait Project,” the Santa Paula Art Museum has invited elementary and high school students to try their hand at a number of art projects in portraiture, the museum reported in a media release.
Students from Santa Clara Elementary School, including Seamus Arentz, Ull Rosten, Patrick and Gregory Haggard, and Mark Goyette, chose an homage project, a technique of copying an artwork to focus on details and gain a fuller appreciation of its visual qualities. The painting they focused on was “Pamela” by Marjorie Murphy, from the Santa Paula Art Collection.
Jasmin Ruiz and Marcos Hernandez, students from Santa Paula High School, chose to create portraits that capture the physical likeness of a subject, and explore the potential of hand drawing to capture the distinctive character of both the subject and the artist. The students considered not only physical details, but also light and shadow, gesture, pose, and setting in an attempt to represent the individual.
These “Student Portrait Projects” will also be unveiled at the opening of the “Santa Paula Portrait Project,” with the opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 No. 10th St., Santa Paula.
Inspired by Rose Frantzen’s “Portrait of Maquoketa,” two artists in Santa Paula decided to take on a similar adventure in their own town, calling it the “Santa Paula Portrait Project”. Photographer John Nichols and painter Gail Pidduck have spent part of the past three years making portraits of the people in their community. Since January of 2011, the two have produced over 60 works which will be on display at the museum through June 23.
Like Frantzen, Nichols and Pidduck desired to capture a collective portrait of a community and of humanity rather than isolated images. “The goal in these portraits,” says Nichols, “is to reveal as much of myself, the artist, as I reveal of the sitter.” The project encouraged both artists to open their hearts to their neighbors and strangers on the streets of Santa Paula, the final product of which illustrates both the ordinary and the extraordinary facets of everyday life in a small town.
Admission to the reception is $10 for SPAM members and $15 for non-members. Reservations for the opening reception are recommended. Contact the museum at 805-525-5554, or send an email to info@santapaulaartmuseum.org.
The museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
'Elizabeth' by Gail Pidduck will be presented at the 'Santa Paula Portrait Project' opening reception on Feb. 23.